LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


GIFT    OF 


THE  BANCROFT  LIBRARY. 

Class 


(J  j 


BY 

ALICE  M.   LONG,   D.  P. 

AUTHOR  OF 
TRIUNE  LIFE  CULTURE,  APPLES  OF  GOLD,  ETC. 


REVISED  EDITION 


CHICAGO,  ILL. 
M.  A.  LONG  BOOK  AND  PUBLISHING  HOUSE 

LONDON,  ENGLAND 

L.  N.  FOWLER  &  CO. 

1906 


COPYRIGHT,  1904 

COPYRIGHT,  1906 

BY  ALICE  M.  LONG 


"That  which  befits  us,  embosomed  in  beauty  and 
wonder  as  we  are,  is  cheerfulness  and  courage,  and 
the  endeavor  to  realize  our  aspirations." — Emerson. 


229506 


To  my  dear  mother 

whose  courage,  cheerfulness  and  sympathy 
have  always  been  a  never-failing  source  of 
inspiration,  and  to  the  thousands  of  women, 
wed  or  unwed,  whether  social  devotees  or 
housewives;  whether  pursuing  a  business  or 
professional  career,  and  who  feel  the  awaken- 
ing of  a  desire  to  enter  into  the  realm  of 
nobler  purpose,  perfect  health,  and  higher  and 
more  uniform  development,  this  little  book  is 

lovingly  dedicated. 


CONTENTS. 

Page 
INTRODUCTION  19 

THE  IRRESISTIBLE  SMILE 25 

How  to  have  a  beautiful,  youthful  mouth. 

BEAUTIFUL,  LAUGHING  EYES 26 

The  eyes  telltales. 

A  NEW  AND  BEAUTIFUL  FACE 30 

CHASING  AWAY  TROUBLES 32 

Disagreeable  guests  —  The  corresponding 
nerve  centers  of  brain  and  stomach, 
bowels,  etc. 

THE  NEW  WOMAN — SWEET,  WHOLESOME,  FASCI- 
NATING      36 

The  woman  whom  everybody  loves — The 
new  facial  expression. 

TABLE  CHEER 41 

The  effect  of  mind  upon  digestion  and 
assimilation — The  best  appetizer  ever  de- 
vised— The  sleep  producer — Getting  your- 
self right  inside — Your  influence  over 
others. 

TH£   HUSH    OF    NIGHT — THE    INBREATHING    OF 
HEALTH,  LOVE  AND  BEAUTY  WHILE  SLEEPING.     44 
The   silent  hour — The  mirror   smile — What 
happens  during  sleep — The  evening  relaxa- 
ation — Vibration    of    thought    from     one 
mind  to  another — The  world,  bright  and 
beautiful. 

THE  DAWN  OF  A  NEW  DAY 53 


i  o  Contents 


Page 
THE  SUNSHINE   LABORATORY 54 

NATURE'S  ROSES  FOR  THE   CHEEKS  AND  OTHER 

BEAUTY  CHARMS 54 

The  pure  delight  of  a  child  is  yours — 
Thought  breathing — Healing  forces. 

MRS.  SUNSHINE,  THE  WOMAN  BEAUTIFUL 58 

The  daily  outing — Cobwebs  brushed  away — 
The  mountain  top — Mrs.  Riches. 

INTERNAL  AND   EXTERNAL   CLEANLINESS 62 

The  bath — Sponge,  vapor  and  tub — Delight- 
ful accessories  to  the  bath — A  bath  for 
blues  and  wakefulness  —  The  bowels  — 
Symptoms  ?nd  diseases — Cause — The  heal- 
ing power  within — Dr.  Charles  Gilbert 
Davis  and  Dr.  Rush  on  mind  therapy. 

LIFE  ESSENTIALS 69 

The  healthy  plant  and  its  care — Fresh  air, 
sunshine,  water  and  food — The  healthy 
woman  your  model — The  tree — Headaches, 
disordered  stomach,  and  constipation. 

THE  ENCHANTED  ROAD 75 

Bright  goals — High  ideals. 

THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF   A  WOMAN 75 

Quality  of  food  required — Coffee  and  tea 
habit — The  development  of  happiness — 
Husband  and  wife  harmonious. 

EATING:  How,  MORE  IMPORTANT  THAN  WHAT..     78 

Mastication — Digestion — Assimilation  —  The 

Man    and     the    Doughnuts — Women    and 

Luncheon — Large    eaters    in    a    state    of 

starvation — Light     eaters     starving     body 


Contents  1 1 


Page 

and  brain — Your  fire-box — Quality  of  food 
—Dainty  service — Meat — Position  at  table 
— How  to  create  an  appetite. 

THE  DAILY  REJUVENATION  85 

The  effect  of  a  smile — New  elasticity  of 
muscles — The  daily  treatment. 

How  TO  DRINK  WATER:  A  CURE  FOR  CONSTIPA- 
TION       87 

Iced  drinks — Thoughts  become  deeds — How 
to  make  new,  rich  blood. 

MANIPULATION  or  THE  BOWELS 90 

The  house-cleaning  process. 

How  TO  INCREASE  OR  REDUCE  FLESH  91 

A  FEW  REMARKS  REGARDING  SLEEPLESSNESS 93 

Hunger   and   wakefulhess — Relaxation. 

How  TO  MASTER  THE  EMOTIONS — MAGIC  WORDS 

FOR  THE  COMPLEXION   94 

Fear,  worry,  anger — Rapid  transformation 
of  character — Mental,  moral,  physical  and 
spiritual  tonic. 

How  TO  OVERCOME  FACIAL  CONTORTIONS 96 

The  Squint — Bunny — Inhalation — Relaxation 
— Repose  of  the  muscles — The  develop- 
ment of  grace,  beauty  and  youth. 

THE  SWEETEST  FACE  IMAGINABLE 98 

Rounded  cheeks,  tenderly  curved  lips  and 
beautifully  expressive  eyes. 

THE  CURE  EOR  PAINFUL  AND  IRREGULAR  PERIODS.     99 
Regulation  of  the  bowels — Daily  treatment — 
Surprising  results  in  a  comparatively  short 


1 2  Contents 


Page 

time — Never    a    headache,    backache    nor 
pain. 

THE  JOY  OF  LIVING  102 

Your  beauty  and  powers  of  fascination. 

DEEP  BREATHING  AND  MENTI-PHYSICAL  CULTURE  102 
Many  and  elaborate  exercises  not  necessary 
— How  to  make  all  tasks  lighter — Re- 
newal of  life,  strength  and  beauty — The 
new-born  infant's  first  act — Fresh  air  and 
sunshine  the  essence  of  life — Breathing 
with  a  purpose. 

LUNG  GYMNASTICS  109 

Breathing  second-hand  air — Nature's  great- 
est tonic. 

THE  LUNG  BATH  in 

New  life  springs  into  action. 

PACKING  THE  LUNGS 113 

Every  portion  of  the  living  tissues  of  the 
lungs  aroused  to  healthful  activity. 

THE  UPPER  RIGHT  AND  LEFT  EXPANSION 114 

Brighter  eyes,  better  complexion,  etc. 

BRACE  UP,   SIT  UP,  STAND  UP. 1 16 

Pressure  upon  the  internal  organs — Corsets, 
and  paralysis  of  muscles — Ill-health  and 
deformity  of  children. 

PHYSICAL  EXERCISES  , 1 18 

Uniform  development — The  cultivation  of 
all  that  is  highest — Mind,  the  leader — 
Pressure  and  lesions — Mind  and  move- 
ments in  harmony — Desire;  attention  and 
expectation, 


Contents  1 3 


Page 

THE  SARA  BERNHARDT  EXERCISES 126 

Relieving  pressures — Relaxation  of  muscles 
— Development  of  bust. 

You  FEEL  LIKE  A  GIRL  AGAIN 132 

LANGTRY'S  RECIPE  FOR  REMAINING  YOUNG 132 

Shapely  hips — Leg  development — Ankles. 

EXERCISES  FOR  CONSTIPATION  138 

Relaxing  the  abdominal  muscles. 

WAIST-LINE  GYMNASTICS  138 

Normal  development  of  waist  and  hips. 

CHAIR  EXERCISE  149 

Action  upon  the  eliminative  organs. 

HORIZONTAL  CHINNING 149 

LEG  GYMNASTICS  150 

THE  DOOR- WAY  EXERCISES 150 

Exercise  of  all  muscles — Bust  development. 

LEG  AND  BACK  DEVELOPMENT 155 

SITTING  AND  RISING 156 

THE  ELEVATOR 156 

Normal  development  of  hips  and  reduction 
of  abdomen. 

THE  KNEE-BEND 161 

Strengthening    back    and    legs — Decreasing 
obesity. 

SHOULDER  MOVEMENTS , 161 

Development    of   chest — Remedy   for   round 
shoulders. 


1 4  Contents 


Page 
THE  FINGER  GRIP  162 

ARM  MUSCLE  DEVELOPMENT 162 

Lifting  ribs — Strengthening  thorax. 

THE     STRETCHING     PROCESS  :      INCREASING    THE 
HEIGHT  165 

THE  RUBBER  BALL  FOR  SLUGGISH  LIVER 166 

THE  BUST  :    How  TO  DEVELOP  IT  167 

The  well-sexed  woman  and  a  beautiful  bust — 
Effect  of  the  emotions  upon  the  female 
organs — Special  exercises  and  treatment. 

NECK  DEVELOPMENT 168 

A  beautiful,  round,  firm  neck. 

THE  BALL  EXERCISE  FOR  THE  FACE 169 

You  are  becoming  beautiful  and  fascinating. 

DEVELOPING  EXERCISES  FOR  USE  IN  OFFICE  AND 

HOUSE 169 

The  most  arduous  tasks  become  easy  and 
pleasant — Deliberation,  calmness  and  pa- 
tience are  yours — Household  duties  con- 
verted into  fascinating  physical  culture 
exercises. 

THE  POWER  OF  A   SWEETLY  MODULATED  VOICE: 

How  TO  CULTIVATE  IT 171 

A  lesson  from  nature's  sweet  music — One  of 
the  most  important  things  a  pleasing  voice 
— The  caressing  voice  in  man — Its  danger 
—The  wonderful  powers  of  fascination  in 
a  woman's  voice — Voice  indicative  of  char- 
acter—Special voice  culture. 


Contents  1 5 


Page 

PEARLS  AND  DIAMONDS  OF  SPEECH 179 

Sweet,  pure  tones  shall  be  as  music. 

THE  TOILET 180 

Beauty  from  within,  out. 

How  TO  DRESS  COMFORTABLY  AND  BECOMINGLY..  181 
Winter  underwear — Tight  clothing — Pres- 
sure upon  nerves,  muscles  and  internal 
organs — Comfortable  footwear — The  gown, 
cut,  color — Harmony  of  dress  with  com- 
plexion and  form — Your  own  style  and 
color. 

MAN'S  FAVORITE  COLOR  183 

The  color  that  will  make  you  look  younger 
-T-How  to  dress  when  making  a  business 
call — Gloves  and  shoes — The  cost  of  being 
untidy — The  gain  in  being  neat. 

THE  TEETH  186 

A  few  reminders — The  dentist — How  to 
clean  the  teeth. 

CARE  OF  THE  HANDS  AND  NAILS 187 

The  hands  are  an  index  to  character — 
Good,  strong,  clean  and  helpful — Nour- 
ishing food  and  improvement  to  the  nails 
— Local  application  for  hands  and  nails — 
How  to  learn  to  be  your  own  manicure. 

THE  HATR 190 

Cleanliness — The  best  shampoo — How  to 
prevent  the  hair  from  falling  out- 
How  to  promote  its  growth — Treat- 
ment for  hair  turning  gray — A  harmless 
naturalizer— Dressing  the  hair  a  study— 


1 6  Contents 


Page 

How  to  make  a  pompadour  with  your  own 
hair — A  recipe  for  keeping  the  hair  in  curl. 

THE  FACE 196 

An  outward  expression  of  inner  calm — Soaps 
— Local  applications  and  massage — The 
ball  manipulation — How  to  wipe  out  lines — 
Pure,  cold  creme — How  to  dry  the  face 
— The  morning  milk  bath  for  the  face — 
A  remedy  for  making  the  complexion  clear 
and  the  skin  velvety — Substitute  for  soap. 

PRESCRIPTIONS  FROM  THE  SUNSHINE  DISPENSARY,  201 
Nature's  tonics. 

THE  ABSORPTION  LIGHT  CURE 201 

Something  better  than  Radium  or  X-Ray — 
Almost  a  cure-all. 

THE  INTERNAL  TONIC  203 

The  more  frequent  the  doses  the  more  bene- 
ficial the  results. 

THE  MID-DAY  PRESCRIPTION   204 

A  renewal  of  the  mental  and  physical  ener- 
gies. 

THE  DEVELOPMENT  TONIC  204 

A  wonderful  cure  for  distracted  mind — 
Soothing  to  the  nerves — Sleep  promoter — 
An  introduction  to  yourself. 

A  BEAUTIFUL  FACE  THE  EXPRESSION  OF  NOBLE 

THOUGHT 205 

Your  remarkable  improvement — New  life — 
My  Lady  Beautiful. 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Page 

THE  IRRESISTIBLE  SMILE —    23 

LAUGHING  EYES  27 

WINSOME  WOMAN  37 

MEDITATION 45 

THE  MIRROR  SMILE 49 

THE  FORM  SUPERB 55 

THE  ENCHANTED  ROAD 73 

CORRECT  POSITION  103 

BERNHARDT  EXERCISE  Ai  119 

BERNHARDT  EXERCISE  Aa 121 

BERNHARDT  EXERCISE  A3  123 

BERNHARDT  EXERCISE  B   127 

BERNHARDT  EXERCISE  Ci 129 

BERNHARDT  EXERCISE  €2  133 

BERNHARDT  EXERCISE  €3 135 

WAIST-LINE  EXERCISE  i   139 

WAIST-LINE  EXERCISE  2  141 

WAIST-LINE  EXERCISE  3  143 

HORIZONTAL  CHINNING  i 145 

HORIZONTAL  CHINNING  2 147 

LEG  GYMNASTICS 151 

B 


1 8  Illustrations 


Page 
LEG  AND  BACK  DEVELOPMENT 153 

SITTING  AND  RISING : 157 

THE  ELEVATOR  159 

THE  KNEE-BEND 163 

CROWN  OF  GLORY 191 


INTRODUCTION. 

There  came  to  the  author  several  years 
ago,  as  a  burst  of  sunshine,  an  inspiration 
born  of  the  Spirit  of  All  Good,  that  which 
resolved  itself  into  a  steady,  glowing  light 
which  flooded  her  whole  being,  leading  her 
into  the  way  of  love,  peace,  health  and  suc- 
cess. 

Feeling  that  this  radiance  should  not  be 
hid  "under  a  bushel/'  but  should  be  set  out 
in  such  manner  as  to  make  it  a  guiding  star 
for  those  who  are  seeking  something  better, 
higher  and  of  a  more  satisfying  and  perma- 
nent character  than  neighborhood  gossip, 
worry,  ill  health,  etc.,  she  has  offered  a  mes- 
sage which  she  believes  wrill  be  helpful  to 
every  woman  into  whose  hands  this  little 
book  may  chance  to  come. 

In  every  phase  of  society,  from  the  highest 
to  the  lowest,  there  are  those  who  are  ever 
groping  and  reaching  upward  toward  the 


2O  Introduction 

light,  like  the  little  seed  in  the  darkness  of 
the  soil,  needing  only  to  come  forth  where 
it  may  drink  the  dewdrops,  bathe  in  the  re- 
freshing showers,  feel  the  caressing  touch  of 
the  breeze  and  receive  the  kiss  of  the  life-giv- 
ing sun  to  make  it  blossom  into  a  thing  of 
marvelous  beauty. 

Society  women,  women  of  culture  and  re- 
finement, business  and  professional  women, 
housewives,  clerks,  stenographers  and  sales- 
women have  alike  felt  the  thrill  of  the  new 
life  as  it  struggles  to  break  the  bonds  of 
weariness,  despondency  and  ill  health,  and 
come  forth  into  the  sunshine;  but  there  is 
needed  a  little  stirring  of  the  soil,  a  gentle 
rainfall,  a  little  more  warmth  to  loose  it 
from  its  prison  and  develop  it  into  a  glow- 
ing, radiant,  dazzling,  wholesome,  helpful 
personality. 

This  message,  thrilling  with  love,  joy  and 
thankfulness  for  the  revelation  of  the  more 
beautiful  and  spiritual  in  life,  is  written  to 
the  ill,  the  weary,  the  despondent  and  all 


Introduction  2 1 

those  in  sorrow  and  pain,  each  word  being 
fraught  with  the  warmest  desire  that  it  may 
do  for  others  what  it  has  done  for  the  writer. 

To  read  the  lessons  on  higher  develop- 
ment, to  practice  the  new  menti-physical  cul- 
ture and  to  observe  the  hints  for  the  toilet  is 
to  restore  health,  renew  youth,  to  make  the 
woman  of  forty  far  more  fascinating  than 
the  girl  of  sixteen,  and  to  give  constant  ex- 
pression to  life  as  it  really  should  be. 

It  is  plain,  right  to  the  point  in  every  par- 
ticular, practical  in  the  highest  degree,  equal- 
ly helpful  to  maid  and  matron,  to  her  who 
contemplates  marriage,  to  the  mother  and 
grandmother,  every  line  sparkling  with  rich 
gems  of  truth  and  helpful  suggestions. 


THE    IRRESISTIBLE    SMILE 


MY    LADY    BEAUTIFUL. 

THE  IRRESISTIBLE  SMILE. 

Now,  I  want  you  to  smile.  O,  that  isn't 
enough.  Smile  again.  Smile  until  you 
laugh.  Continue  to  smile  for  just  two  min- 
utes. Perhaps  this  is  tHe  first  time  in  months 
that  you  have  relaxed  the  muscles  of  your 
face  by  looking  pleasant,  but  I'm  sure 
you  feel  better  already;  and  allow  me  to 
whisper  in  your  ear  that  this  is  one  of  the 
principal  secrets  of  being  beautiful  and 
fascinating. 

Why,  do  you  know,  a  woman's  genuine, 
healthy  smile,  or  a  genuine  woman's  healthy 
smile — any  way  you  choose  to  have  it — is 
simply  irresistible  to  the  man  who  is  a  man  ? 

Now  that  you've  smiled  a  while,  I  venture 
to  say  that  you've  called  up  a  cheerful  men- 
tal picture.  Why,  you  simply  can't  help  it 
when  you're  wearing  this  cheerful  expres- 
sion. 


26  My   Lady   Beautiful 

Go  to  the  mirror  at  once  and  smile  your 
very  sweetest  at  yourself.  There,  now,  be 
honest;  don't  you  already  look — well,  at 
least  several  months  younger  than  you  did 
about  fifteen  minutes  ago?  I  know  you  do 
because — O,  well,  if  you'll  just  stop  to  think 
a  moment  your  reason  will  tell  you  that 
while  you're  smiling,  or  even  just  looking 
pleasant,  the  corners  of  your  mouth  curve 
upward,  the  only  way  to  have  a  beautiful, 
youthful  looking  mouth;  and  that  horrid, 
disfiguring  frown  will  disappear,  for  a  frown 
never  can  keep  company  with  a  smile. 
Somehow  it  never  seems  to  feel  just  at 
home  on  a  facial  map  where  a  smile  is  flit- 
ting more  than  occasionally.  And  would 
you  believe  it?  When  the  lips  curve  up- 
ward the  eyes  become  brighter,  softer  and 
far  more  expressive. 

BEAUTIFUL,  LAUGHING  EYES. 

You've  doubtless  heard  of  laughing  eyes. 
Well,  they  are  just  about  the  most  beautiful 


LAUGHING    EYES 


My  Lady  Beautiful  29 

you'll  find,  and  you  can  have  them  just  as 
well  as  Mrs.  Van  Scott,  whom,  you  know, 
everybody  loves  because  of  her  genuine 
cheerfulness.  She  may  hide  her  face,  with 
the  exception  of  her  eyes,  behind  her  fan 
and  yet  you  know  she's  smiling.  However, 
if  you  want  your  eyes  to  laugh  you've  got  to 
start  the  good  feeling  away  down  inside,  and 
somehow  it  always  bubbles  up  and  makes 
itself  felt  and  heard  and  gets  up  into  the 
windows  where  it  may  be  seen. 

Have  you  ever  thought  what  telltales  the 
eyes  are  anyway?  If  you're  sad,  or  glad,  or 
if  you  feel  ugly  towards  someone,  or  if 
you're  telling  a  fib,  they'll  divulge  the  se- 
cret every  time,  it  makes  no  difference  how 
hard  you  try  to  keep  it  under  cover.  So  the 
only  sure  way  to  have  beautifully  expressive 
eyes  is  to  be  honest  and  happy  inside. 

Now,  just  smile  again,  please.  I'm  not 
taking  your  picture,  nor  am  I  a  photog- 
rapher, but  I  want  you  to  be  your  own  pho- 
tographer and  practice  on  yourself  so  that 


30  My  Lady  Beautiful 

you  may  become  naturally  and  constantly 
pleasant. 

To  be  a  good  musician  or  artist,  or,  to  be- 
come proficient  in  any  particular  line,  disci- 
pline and  practice  are  necessary.  The  dra- 
matic reader  thinks  nothing  of  practicing  for 
hours,  weeks  and  months  to  attain  the  cor- 
rect facial  expression  for  a  particular  part 
or  parts ;  and  I  am  sure  you  will  be  willing 
to  do  that  by  which  you  may  attain  beauty, 
happiness  and  success ;  nor  will  you  find  it 
a  difficult  task.  Neither  are  the  methods 
mechanical  as  in  music,  dramatic  art,  etc., 
though  even  these  should  not  be  to  such  an 
extent  as  they  are  today — but  with  music 
and  art  we  need  not  here  concern  ourselves. 

A  NEW  AND  BEAUTIFUL  FACE. 
If  you  have  compared  your  old,  every-day 
face  with  the  new,  smiling  one  you  will,  of 
course,  no  longer  care  to  wear  that  horrid 
scowl.  You  know  it  is  not  becoming,  so 
you  are  going  to  begin  at  once  the  attain- 


My  Lady  Beautiful  31 

ment  of  a  beautiful  new  face  that  will  pos- 
sess a  permanent  charm.  Of  course,  the 
change  may  now  seem  to  you  a  little  dif- 
ficult, but  it  is  much  easier  than  you  would 
imagine ;  and,  besides,  to  follow  up  the  mat- 
ter will  be  one  of  the  most  fascinating  things 
of  which  you  have  ever  dreamed.  Why,  to 
watch  the  development  of  this  new  face  is 
like  watching  the  growth  of  a  beautiful 
plant.  But  you  will  understand  there  must 
be  a  good  foundation  laid  for  this  facial  de- 
velopment, without  which  there  can  be  no 
permanency  in  the  change.  This  is  the  rea- 
son why  the  woman  who  patronizes  the 
beauty  doctors,  and  receives  simply  local 
treatment  and  makes  local  applications  of 
cosmetics,  does  not  derive  benefit  of  a  more 
permanent  character. 


O,  there  are  so  very  many  important 
things  to  tell  you  I  scarcely  know  where  to 
begin.  Of  course,  you  have  been  thinking  all 


32  My  Lady  Beautiful 

the  while  Of  the  smile  and  how  much  prettier 
and  sweeter  you  are  going  to  be  with  it, 
but  you  must  think  of  nice,  pure  and  pleas- 
ant things  in  order  to  make  it  natural. 

CHASING  AWAY  TROUBLES. 

O,  yes,  I  know  you  have  your  troubles 
and  some  of  them  are  genuine,  but,  then, 
what  a  lot  of  them  are  counterfeit,  actually 
without  foundation,  when  you  come  to  think 
of  it.  Even  so;  they  will  stay  with  you  as 
long  as  they  are  tolerated.  Suppose,  how- 
ever, a  lot  of  rude  children  should  come  into 
your  house,  run  up  stairs  and  down,  break 
your  valuable  vases,  jump  on  your  furniture, 
scratch  your  costly  library  table,  tear  your 
choice  books,  and  rack  your  nerves. 

"O,  I  wouldn't  allow  it,"  you  say.  "I'd 
send  them  out  and  not  admit  them  again." 

Of  course  you  would,  and  this  would  be 
the  proper  step.  Now,  that  is  just  what  you 
must  do  with  the  rioters  which  have,  some- 
how, been  admitted  into  your  mind  and  are 


My  Lady  Beautiful  33 

playing  havoc,  with  not  only  your  mental 
faculties,  but  with  every  part  of  your  anat- 
omy; and  especially  with  the  digestive,  as- 
similative and  generative  organs.  They  have 
disorganized  the  working  chemical  forces  of 
the  body,  have  produced  pressure  here  and 
there  upon  the  sensitive  nerves,  clogged  the 
circulation,  contracted  muscles,  and  are  con- 
stantly causing  the  most  dreadful  pains  and, 
sometimes,  serious  illness,  and  yet  you  allow 
them  to  remain. 

Yes,  I  know  you  have  never  realized  that 
such  a  thing  as  a  "little  trouble"  could  do 
so  much  harm,  but  I  shall  give  you  just  one 
illustration  to  convince  you  of  this  fact  and 
then  I'm  going  to  tell  you  how  you  need  no 
longer  be  hostess  for  such  disagreeable 
guests. 

Suppose  you've  been  out  for  a  delightful 
walk  or  drive,  or  have  been  working  for 
pleasure  in  that  charming  little  flower  gar- 
den, or  in  some  other  way  have  created  a 
good,  healthy  appetite  so  that  you  feel  as 


34  My   Lady  Beautiful 

if  you  could  eat  a  farmer's  dinner,  and  then, 
just  as  you  are  about  to  sit  down  to  the  table, 
a  messenger  boy  comes,  bringing-  bad  news. 
Xow,  what  happens?  Why,  you  can't  eat 
a  mouthful.  In  a  moment  this  change  has 
been  wrought.  When  you  tell  Mrs.  Smith, 
who  lives  next  door,  does  it  affect  her  in  this 
manner?  Not  at  all.  She  expresses  sympa- 
thy for  you,  of  course,  but  at  the  same  time 
does  justice  to  the  leg  of  mutton,  the  Eng- 
lish pudding,  etc.,  that  are  before  her. 

"Why  is  this  so?"  you  ask.  Well,  the 
news  does  not  particularly  impress-  itself 
upon  the  mind  of  Mrs.  Smith,  as  your  fam- 
ily affairs  are  of  no  direct  interest  to  her. 
It  does  make  a  deep  impression  upon  your 
mind,  sufficient,  perhaps,  to  even  cause  a 
shock;  but,  be  that  as  it  may,  there  are 
nerve  centers  for  stomach,  bowels  and  the 
other  functioning  organs  of  the  body,  which 
nerve  centers  all  have  connection  with  the 
brain.  Every  impression  upon  the  mind  af- 
fects in  a  proportionate  degree  the  nerve 


My  Lady  Beautiful  35 

centers  and  these  in  turn  increase  or  decrease 
the  working  capacity  of  the  various  organs 
with  which  they  are  connected.  You  may 
readily  understand,  then,  how  dependent  is 
the  body  upon  the  mental  condition ;  and  as 
it  may  be  affected  to  illness  by  adverse 
thoughts,  so  may  it  become  healthy  by 
bright,  cheerful  and  happy  thoughts,  pro- 
vided hygienic  laws  are  also  observed.  You 
should  realize,  too,  that  if  bad  news  pro- 
duces the  effect  just  mentioned,  the  truth 
of  which  our  most  prominent  physicians 
are  agreed  upon,  the  adverse  impression 
indulged  in  for  a  prolonged  period  will 
produce  a  chronic  physical  condition,  and 
thus  is  brought  on  constipation  (the  cause  of 
the  majority  of  ills),  dyspepsia,  sleeplessness 
and — yes,  I  do  not  hesitate  to  say  it — female 
trouble,  and  a  vast  number  of  other  ills. 

You  don't  want  to  be  tormented  daily  with 
these  horrid  things?  Of  course  not.  They 
spoil  your  temper,  your  complexion  and  your 
form — and,  if  unmarried,  your  chances  for 


36  My  Lady  Beautiful 

getting  a  husband.  Worse  than  all,  if  you 
are  wedded  and  a  mother,  they  drive  your 
husband  to  the  club,  if  not  to  worse  places, 
cause  your  children  to  become  disrespectful, 
unruly,  and  produce  in  them  an  extreme  dis- 
like for  home.  So,  now,  for  the  recipe. 

Bear  in  mind,  the  secrets  I  am  telling  you 
are  going  to  make  you — O,  I  can't  say  how 
much  younger  and  more  beautiful  if  you'll 
only  faithfully  practice  the  instructions. 
They  are  just  as  easy — well,  much  easier 
than  practicing  fear,  anger  and  worry  and 
a  lot  of  other  things  that  are  extremely 
harmful ;  and  what  is  still  better,  you  can  do 
a  great  deal — nearly  all — of  your  practicing 
while  going  about  your  duties. 

THE  NEW  WOMAN— SWEET,  WHOLESOME 

AND  FASCINATING. 

I'm  sure  you're  smiling  now  .just  for  the 
joy  of  knowing  that  you  have  at  last  found 
something  that  is  going  to  make  you  a  new 
woman;  not  the  mannish  new  woman  about 
whom  we  have  heard  so  much,  nor  the  new 


WINSOME    WOMAN 


My  Lady   Beautiful  39 

woman  with  all  the  sweetness  crushed  out ; 
but  the  sweet,  pure,  healthy,  wholesome  and 
fascinating  woman  with  more  of  love  and 
sympathy — the  dainty  woman  whom  every- 
body loves. 

I  want  you  to  begin  at  once — this  very 
evening — to  attain  the  innocent  charms  so 
dear  to  the  true,  womanly  woman. 

First,  see  that  before  the  setting  of  the 
sun,  your  mind  is  in  a  calm  and  peaceful 
state.  If  you  have  spoken  unjustly  or  in  an- 
ger to  anyone  during  the  day  make  your 
peace  with  that  person. 

I  have  heard  persons  say  that  their  pride 
would  not  allow  them  to  make  an  apology 
even  when  it  seemed  due.  This  feeling 
is  not  pride  but  cowardice  or  malice.  You 
should  be  so  proud  of  your  womanliness, 
should  have  so  much  self- respect,  that,  should 
you  at  any  time  so  far  forget  your  dignity 
as  to  conduct  yourself  in  an  unwomanly 
manner,  either  by  word  or  deed,  you  would 
make  every  effort  in  the  least  possible  time 


40  My   Lady   Beautiful 

to  express  your  regret  for  your  unkindness. 
But  I  shall  not  dwell  on  this  point,  for  the 
time  will  come  to  you,  and  soon,  when  these 
things  which  now  vex  you  will  seem  very 
insignificant  and  you  will  wonder  how  you 
could  have  been  so  foolish  as  to  be  annoyed 
by  them.  Soon,  too,  you  will  be  careful  to 
avoid  saying  or  doing  anything  that  will 
hurt  another. 

My  dear,  many  are  the  ways  in  which  true 
womanliness  expresses  itself. 

Since  you  have  been  practicing  the  smile, 
you  will  greet  every  member  of  the  family 
this  evening  as  they  come  in  from  their  re- 
spective duties  with  this  new  facial  expres- 
sion. True,  if  you  have  not  been  accustomed 
to  it,  it  will  seem  a  little  awkward  at  first  ;but 
never  mind;  smile  will  answer  smile,  and 
you  will  not  be  long  alone  in  this  upward 
curving  of  the  lips.  The  others  may  look 
at  you  the  first,  and  perhaps  the  second  and 
third,  evening  in  a  wondering  manner,  but 
they  will  fall  in  line  without  a  doubt,  and 


My  Lady  Beautiful  41 

then  the  next  thing  in  order  will  be  a  cheer- 
ful circle  about  the  dinner  table. 

TABLE  CHEER. 

I'm  glad  I  spoke  of  dinner,  because  if 
there  is  a  time  or  place  above  all  others 
.where  pleasant  thoughts  and  cheerful  con- 
versation should  be  indulged  in,  it  is  at  the 
table.  The  old  proverb  says,  "Better  is  a 
dry  morsel,  and  quietness  therewith  than  a 
house  full  of  sacrifices  with  strife."  Again, 
"Better  is  a  dinner  of  herbs  where  love  is. 
than  a  stalled  ox  and  hatred  therewith." 

This  old  writer  doubtless  well  understood 
the  effect  of  the  mind  upon  the  assimilation 
of  food.  Indeed,  it  is  better  not  to  eat  at  all 
than  to  eat  while  angry  or  adversely  ex- 
cited, for  every  mouthful  taken  under 
such  conditions  is  a  tax  upon  the  di- 
gestive organs,  an  effect  similar  to  that 
just  described  in  connection  with  bad  news 
being  the  result.  Nor  should  one  eat  while 
greatly  fatigued  mentally  or  physically. 


42  My  Lady  Beautiful 

Again,  if  you  have  had  any  petty  trifles 
during  the  day  of  a  worrying  nature,  don't, 
and  I  emphasize  it,  rehearse  them  either 
mentally  or  to  any  member  or  members  of 
the  family.  By  doing  so  you  unconsciously 
exaggerate  them  to  yourself,  without  benefit- 
ing in  the  slightest  degree  any  person  or  per- 
sons. On  the  other  hand,  if  something  of  a 
pleasant  character  has  been  brought  to  your 
attention,  tell  it  when  you  are  all  together 
and  add  as  many  furbelows  and  frills  as  you 
like,  keeping  inside  the  boundaries  of  truth. 
I  am  confident  something  pleasing  to  you  has 
occurred,  but  suppose  you  didn't  just  happen 
to  catch  it  today;  then  spend  a  moment  in 
reading  a  funny  anecdote  and  create  an 
atmosphere  of  pleasantry  by  reciting  that. 
The  others  will  fall  in  line  and  you'll  have 
a  compound  of  cheer  and  good  will,  a  better 
tonic  and  appetizer  than  anything  ever  de- 
vised by  chemist. 

You've  made  a  splendid  start  and  it  has 
worked  like  a  charm,  hasn't  it  ?     Now,  after 


My  Lady  Beautiful  43 

the  evening  meal,  just  forget  all  about  your- 
self for  a  while  and  do  some  little  kind  act 
for,  or  speak  an  encouraging  word  to  some- 
one. Don't  you  know  that  you  and  the  other 
person  will  sleep  the  better  for  it? 

Of  course,  you  needn't  go  out  on  the  street 
corners  and  tell  everyone  you  see  that 
you've  turned  over  a  new  leaf  and  that  you 
are  going  to  do  this  thing  and  the  other  to 
bring  happiness  to  the  world.  It  is  all  right 
to  be  earnest  and  enthusiastic,  but  the  best 
and  surest  way  to  accomplish  results  along 
this  line  is  to  go  about  it  quietly,  getting 
yourself  right  inside,  clearing  your  own 
house  of  all  rubbish,  as  it  were;  you  should 
cease  complaining;  don't  speak  at  all  of 
your  ills;  but  never  miss  an  opportunity  of 
saying  how  well  you  are  feeling;  and  don't, 
please  don't,  allow  people  to  tell  you  that  you 
are  not  looking  well.  Pursue  this  course, 
and,  believe  me,  your  friends  will  soon  be 
talking  of  your  wonderfully  improved  condi- 
tion, and  with  good  reason,  too. 


44  My   Lady  Beautiful 

The  time  will  come,  also,  when  you  will 
be  amazed  at  the  number  of  delightful  per- 
sons you  meet,  the  influence  you  have  over 
others  and  the  vast  amount  of  good  you  are 
doing  in  a  quiet,  unostentatious  manner. 

When  this  time  does  come,  and  even  long 
before,  you  need  not  question  yourself  as  to 
what  steps  should  be  taken  in  order  to  be 
helpful.  Innumerable  opportunities  for  con- 
tributing to  the  happiness  of  others  will  pre- 
sent themselves  and  you  will  avail  yourself 
of  them  without  question  or  debate,  taking 
them  simply  as  a  matter  of  course. 

THE    HUSH    OF    NIGHT:    THE   INBREATH- 
ING OF  HEALTH,  LOVE  AND  BEAUTY 
WHILE  SLEEPING. 

Now  comes,  probably,  the  most  important 
time  to  you.  The  hush  of  night  is  over  all. 
You  have  retired  to  your  room.  It  is  a  time 
for  meditation.  This  is  your  silent  hour. 
During  this  period  do  not  allow  yourself  to 
be  disturbed  by  the  entrance  of  another. 
Have  your  room  thoroughly  ventilated. 


MEDITATION 


My  Lady  Beautiful  47 

Now,  stand  for  a  moment  before  the  mirror 
and  try  again  the  effect  of  the  smile.  Then 
comfortably  seat  yourself,  relax,  and  men- 
tally pass  over  all  the  pleasant  events  of  the 
day,  summing  up  every  incident  that  has 
been  helpful  to  you  as  well  as  all  that  you 
have  done  to  make  life  brighter  for  others. 
Study  yourself  during  this  time  of  medita- 
tion that  you  may  better  understand  how  to 
gain  strength  of  character.  -After  retiring 
and  when  the  lights  are  out,  then  it  is  as  if 
you  were  in  the  very  presence  of  the  Di- 
vine Power,  the  Holy  Spirit,  who  is  ready 
to  guide,  to  uplift  and  strengthen  you  at  the 
very  moment  you  are  willing  to  receive. 

None  of  us  know  what  sleep  is.  We  know 
that  the  physical  part  of  our  being  obtains 
its  needed  rest,  but  we  do  not  know  where 
the  soul,  the  mind  or  spirit  are,  nor  what 
they  are  doing.  I  do  know  this,  however: 
that,  after  reaching  a  certain  stage  of  devel- 
opment, which  you,  too,  may  attain  by  the 
observance  of  these  teachings,  great  benefit 


48  My  Lady   Beautiful 

during  the  sleeping  hours,  more  than  you 
have  ever  dreamed  of,  will  result. 

Of  course,  you  will  have  only  pleasant 
thoughts  as  you  recline  on  your  bed  or  couch, 
lying  comfortably  at  full  length  on  your 
back  for  a  few  minutes ;  and  it  is  best,  by  all 
means,  to  thoroughly  relax  yourself.  In- 
deed, this  is  necessary  if  you  would  be  in  a 
receptive  state,  which  condition  is  certainly 
conducive  to  greater  results. 

It  is  quite  easy  to  relax  after  a  little  prac- 
tice, if  you  will  simply  let  go  of  yourself. 
Close  your  eyes  easily,  as  if  going  to  sleep; 
allow  the  arms  to  lie  at  the  sides  parallel 
with  the  body.  Inhale  gently,  but  deeply— 
once — exhale  slowly — repeat  twice,  thrice, 
mentally  saying : 

"I  am  quiet  and  easy  all  over.  Every 
muscle  is  relaxed,  mind  and  body  are  in  har- 
mony and  I  am  resting  quietly  from  my  head 
to  my  feet." 

O,  what  a  delicious  sense  of  comfort  and 
restfulness  now  steals  over  you.  You  raise 


TIIIv    MIRROR    SM1LD 


My  Lady  Beautiful  51 

your  arms  and  they  fall  again  to  the  sides 
as  would  those  of  a  sleeping  infant  if  you 
were  to  lift  and  then  let  go  of  them. 

O,  the  delightful  calmness  of  it  all !  Now 
you  will  say : 

"The  world  is  bright  and  beautiful.  I  love 
it.  I  am  growing  stronger,  happier,  better — 
even  now  I  feel  what  a  delight  it  is  to  live 
and  what  a  joy  it  is  to  be  helpful.  Tonight, 
while  my  physical  being  rests  in  slumber,  the 
real  I  will  gain  in  strength,  patience,  grace 
and  purity.  Lessons  of  love  and  helpfulness 
will  be  given  me  and  when  the  morning 
comes  I  will  feel  myself  greatly  strengthened 
for  the  day's  duties.  Before  slumber  comes 
upon  me  I  desire,  too,  that  the  thoughts  of 
love  and  comfort  which  I  am  now  thinking 
may  go  out  during  the  hours  of  sleep  to  those 
whom  I  would  help."  (These  persons  you 
may  particularize,  if  you  wish,  and  it  is  even 
better  so.)  If  there  is  one  whom,  for  any 
reason,  you  cannot  easily  approach  during 
your  waking  hours,  and  yet  whom  you  wish 


52  My   Lady  Beautiful 

to  help,  the  name  of  this  person  may  be 
spoken  with  the  others. 

"How  do  you  know  this  is  effectual?" 
you  ask.  My  answer  is,  /  have  demon- 
strated it  many,  many  times,  and  though  I 
may  not  be  able  to  explain  it  as  clearly  to  you 
as  I  would  like,  it  is  to  me  a  fact  which  needs 
no  other  proof  than  my  greater  ability  to 
help  others  and  the  far  greater  degree  of 
sweetness  and  fullness  of  life.  Why  should 
not  the  vibrations  of  thought  in  one  mind 
pass  to  another  mind  to  which  they  are  di- 
rected, as  do  the  vibrations  from  one  station 
to  another  in  the  wireless  system  of  teleg- 
raphy? It  is  not  at  all  unreasonable,  no 
more  so  than  the  traveling  of  heat  and  sound 
vibrations. 

Be  this  as  it  may,  this  practice  has  brought 
me  more  and  more  closely  to  the  Divine,  as 
it  will  you,  dear  one,  until  the  inbreathing 
becomes  a  prayer  to  God  and  the  outbreath- 
ing  a  grateful  recognition  of  life  with  all  its 
blessings. 


My   Lady   Beautiful  53 


THE  DAWN  OF  A  NEW  DAY. 

When  you  awake  in  the  morning  it  will 
be  with  such  a  lightness  of  heart,  such  joy 
in  the  realization  of  renewed  health  and 
strength  that  you  will  smile  and  smile  spon- 
taneously. Then,  before  rising,  and  while 
resting  quietly,  you  may  say : 

"I  shall  go  today  into  the  presence  of 
friends  and  loved  ones  knowing  that  I  have 
greater  strength  and  courage;  knowing  that 
I  shall  take  advantage  of  the  many  opportu- 
nities to  create  a  brighter  atmosphere  about 
me.  I  shall  have  a  smile,  a  word  of  cheer, 
for  those  whom  I  know.  The  dumb  brute 
shall  have  my  sympathy  and  wherever  pos- 
sible my  help.  I  shall  seek  the  beautiful  and 
good  today;  I  know  I  shall  find  them  in  the 
people  whom  I  meet,  in  the  sky,  the  trees, 
the  water,  and  all  about  me.  From  all  these 
I  shall  gather  strength  and  courage."  After 
rising  you  may  say : 


54  My  Lady   Beautiful 

"As  I  stand  before  the  open  window  I  am 
breathing  love,  health  and  happiness." 

THE  SUNSHINE  LABORATORY. 

What  a  delightful  day  it  will  be.  Suppose 
the  sky  is  overcast  with  clouds.  You  know 
the  sun  is  still  shining  as  brightly  as  ever  and 
will  soon  reappear  in  all  its  great  blaze  of 
glory.  Even  should  it  hide  its  face  for  sev- 
eral days,  you  are  now  becoming  independent 
of  it  to  a  certain  extent,  for  you  know  you 
have  a  little  sunshine  laboratory  within,  all 
your  very  own,  that  will  enable  you  to  turn 
out  at  will  scintillations  that  will  lighten  ev- 
erything about  you;  yes,  a  steady  glow,  such 
as  will  never  fail  to  cheer  your  friends  and 
dear  ones  and  to  attract  also  to  you  those 
who  are  bright  and  happy. 

NATURE'S  ROSES  FOR  THE  CHEEKS  AND 
OTHER  BEAUTY  CHARMS. 

To  partake  of  the  beauties  of  nature,  to 
hear  the  songs  of  the  birds,  the  ripple  of  the 


THE    FORM    SUPERB 


My  Lady  Beautiful  57 

water,  the  rustling  of  the  leaves,  to  watch 
the  ever- varying  tints  of  the  sky;  or,  when 
winter  claims  his  own,  to  enjoy  the  crisp, 
invigorating  air,  to  look  upon  the.  snow-clad 
trees — a  picture  to  which  even  the  hand  of  a 
master  could  do  slight  justice — to  bring  the 
color  to  your  lips,  the  roses  to  your  cheeks ; 
to  study  your  fellow  beings,  to  lift  your  heart 
to  the  Divine  Creator  of  all,  you  must  leave 
for  a  time  the  walls  of  your  dwelling. 

Now  that  you  are  out,  you  feel  again  the 
pure  delight  that  was  yours  when  a  child. 

O,  the  joy  of  it!  You  want  to  skip  and 
dance  and  run  and  shout,  perhaps.  And  why 
shouldn't  you  in  some  such  manner  give  ex- 
pression to  the  happiness,  the  new  life  that  is 
now  yours  ? 

Your  lips  are  unconsciously  curving  up- 
ward, and  no  mistake.  Your  eyes  are  spark- 
ling and  laughing,  and  as  you  inhale  deeply 
and  slowly  you  are  saying  to  yourself : 

"As  I  inbreathe  the  pure,  fresh  air — the 
gift  of  the  Father — I  am  taking  into  my  be- 


58  My  Lady   Beautiful 

ing  renewed  energy,  new  life,  and  all  is  ease 
and  harmony."  (Breathe  with  this  thought 
whenever  opportunity  affords.) 

Of  course  you  are  better  after  this  for  the 
circulation  of  the  blood  is  becoming  normal ; 
the  little  cells  are  stirred  to  proper  activity; 
the  muscles  have  become  more  elastic,  cheer- 
ful thoughts  are  directed  to  all  parts  of  the 
body  and  you  are  coming  into  touch  with 
nature,  all  of  which  healing  forces  no  chem- 
ist in  the  land,  with  all  his  research  and  ex- 
periments, can  surpass  or  nearly  approach, 
and,  what  is  of  vastly  greater  importance, 
these  natural  remedial  agents  are  ever  at 
your  command. 

MRS.  SUNSHINE,  THE  WOMAN  BEAUTIFUL. 

You  are  feeling  better,  much  better,  after 
your  little  visit  to  the  outer  world,  aren't 
you?  And  I  want  you  to  say  this  to  your- 
self, over  and  over:  "I  am  better,  better, 
brighter  and  stronger.  Brightness  and  hap- 
piness are  mine." 


My  Lady  Beautiful  59 

You  must  get  out  every  day,  if  only  for 
ten  minutes.  If  this  one  outing  has  so 
greatly  benefited  you,  a  daily  jaunt  will  have 
a  most  marked  effect. 

Yes,  you  have  time.  You  must  take  it. 
Why,  don't  you  know  that  you  have  accom- 
plished far  more  today  than  you  did  yester- 
day, and  is  it  not  because  the  cobwebs  have 
been  brushed  away,  as-  it  were  ?  Your  mind 
is  clear  and  you  are  enabled  to  perform  your 
duties  more  quickly,  intelligently  and  sys- 
tematically. 

You  become  selfish,  too,  when  you  con- 
stantly shut  yourself  in  from  the  world.  To 
see  how  others  live,  to  become  interested  in 
your  fellow-beings  with  the  desire  to  be  help- 
ful, will  not  only  better  your  life,  but  broad- 
en as  well  the  home  life,  bringing  into  it  joys 
heretofore  undreamed  of.  Your  little,  nar- 
row circle  isn't  the  only  one  in  the  world. 
Go  to  the  mountain  top  or  around  the  moun- 
tain and  you  will  learn  that  your  little  valley, 
beautiful  though  it  may  seem  to  you,  does 


60  My  Lady  Beautiful 

not  contain  all  there  is  of  life.  Go  back  to 
it,  then,  if  you  desire,  but  after  once  partak- 
ing of  the  good  that  other  and  more  produc- 
tive fields  have  to  offer,  you  will  return 
richer,  wiser,  and  better  in  every  way. 

Yes,  even  in  this  one  little  trip  you  have 
come  back  with  a  bit  of  sunshine,  new  and 
pleasant  thoughts,  and  an  uplifting  of  the 
mental,  moral  and  spiritual  nature. 

While  out,  you  doubtless  observed  a  cer- 
tain woman  of  beautifully  proportioned 
form,  wonderful  grace  of  movement,  spark- 
ling eyes,  glowing  expression;  in  short,  one 
who  was  the  embodiment  of  perfect  woman- 
hood. As  you  'looked  upon  this  lovely  crea- 
ture, you  compared  her  with  Mrs.  Riches, 
thin,  stooped,  with  dragging  steps,  dull  eyes, 
muddy  complexion,  ugly  blotches  on  the 
skin,  and  a  general  air  of  utter  weariness. 
You  know  she  is  constantly  complaining, 
sees  always  the  dark  side  of  things,  takes 
little  or  no  interest  in  her  husband's  busi- 
ness, invariably  uses  car  or  carriage,  though 


My  Lady  Beautiful  61 

the  distance  she  wishes  to  be  conveyed  may 
not  be  over  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  fears  fresh 
air,  drafts  and  exercise  as  she  would  death 
itself.  Happy !  she  does  not  know  the  mean- 
ing of  the  word.  You  know  her  well,  do  you 
not? 

Now,  answer  truthfully,  which  one  of 
these  women  would  you  rather  be  like;  Mrs. 
Riches  with  her  millions,  or  Mrs.  Sunshine, 
full  of  life,  beauty,  happiness? 

Of  course,  you  would  prefer  to  be  like  the 
latter;  especially  is  this  true  since  you 
know  something  of  the  new  life,  and  it  may 
be  as  you  wish.  You  have  made  a  splendid 
beginning;  but  you  must  each  day  renew 
your  thoughts,  your  desires,  your  expecta- 
tions and  your  energies,  that  you  may  be- 
come a  healthy,  well  developed,  happy 
woman. 


62  My  Lady  Beautiful 


INTERNAL  AND  EXTERNAL  CLEANLINESS. 

THE   BATH. 

You  must  be  clean!  It  seems  scarcely 
necessary  to  speak  of  the  bath,  yet  many 
overlook  the  importance  of  bathing  and 
frequent  change  of  clothing.  A  warm  tub 
bath  should  be  taken  at  the  very  least 
once  or  twice  a  week  during  the  winter, 
and  more  frequently  during  the  summer, 
while  a  sponge  bath  should  be  taken  every 
day  in  the  year.  Once  you  have  become 
accustomed  to  it,  you  feel  you  cannot  do 
without  it.  Now  and  then  a  hot-air  or 
vapor  bath,  except  where  there  is  heart 
trouble,  is  exceedingly  beneficial,  as  it  opens 
the  clogged  pores  of  the  body  and  allows 
the  poisonous  accumulations  to  escape. 

A  tub  bath  should  never  be  taken  just 
before  or  after  a  meal.  An  hour,  at  least, 
should  intervene. 

The  sponge  bath  should  be  taken  upon 


My  Lady  Beautiful  63 

arising  immediately  after  the  morning  physi- 
cal culture  exercises  and  with  the  window 
still  open,  though  you  should  not  stand  di- 
rectly in  a  draft.  The  time  necessary  for  a 
bath  of  this  kind  should  not  exceed  three 
minutes.  If  you  have  not  tried  the  "sponge," 
you  cannot  imagine  how  refreshing  and  in- 
vigorating it  is. 

When  I  speak  of  the  sponge  or  hand 
bath,  reference  is  had  to  the  bath  taken  by 
dipping  the  hands  into  a  bowl  of  cold  water 
and  rubbing  the  body  quickly  and  vigor- 
ously until  every  portion  has  been  gone  over. 

If  your  vitality  is  low,  commence  with  a 
good  rubbing  with  hands  or  Turkish  towel, 
keeping  this  up  every  morning  for  a  week 
or  more  until  your  body  shall  have  become 
accustomed  to  the  air,  the  system  "toned 
up"  and  the  vitality  increased,  when  you 
will  be  in  condition  to  use  tepid  water,  after 
which  the  cold  bath  may  be  taken  without 
shocking  the  nervous  system. 

There  are  many   delightful  accessories  to 


64  My  Lady   Beautiful 

the  bath  which  are  both  cleansing  and  re- 
freshing and  which  may  be  varied  to  suit 
your  desire  and  convenience. 

A  good  handful  of  salt  added  to  the  water 
now  and  then  acts  as  a  tonic.  The  juice 
of  one  or  two  lemons  cleanses  the  pores  and 
imparts  renewed  strength  to  the  body.  Lit- 
tle bags  of  bran  or  oatmeal  in  the  bath 
water  will  make  the  skin  velvety  and  fresh- 
en you  wonderfully. 

I  cannot  refrain  from  giving  the  follow- 
ing prescription,  said  to  be  given  by  an  old 
physician  and  which  is  claimed  to  be  a  sure 
remedy  for  the  "blues"  and  wakefulness: 

"Take  of  sea  salt  four  ounces,  spirits  of 
ammonia  two  ounces,  spirits  of  camphor 
two  ounces,  of  pure  alcohol  eight  ounces, 
and  sufficient  hot  water  to  make  a  full  quart 
of  the  liquid.  Dissolve  the  sea  salt  in  the 
hot  water  and  let  stand  until  cool.  Pour 
into  the  alcohol  the  spirits  of  ammonia  and 
camphor.  Add  the  salt  water,  shake  well, 
and  bottle  for  use.  With  a  soft  sponge 


My  Lady  Beautiful  65 

dipped  in  this  mixture  wet  over  the  surface 
of  the  whole  body.  Rub  vigorously  until  the 
skin  glows." 

THE  BOWELS. 

And  now,  what  of  the  inside,  the  stomach, 
the  bowels,  are  they  clean?  Are  they  per- 
forming properly  their  respective  functions  ? 
If  not,  you  are  unclean  internally  and  you 
need  seek  no  further  for  the  cause  of  many 
of  your  ills,  such  as  headache,  catarrh,  rheu- 
matism, poor  appetite,  sleeplessness,  painful 
periods,  and  other  ills  too  numerous  to  men- 
tion; and  instead  of  taking  this  and  that 
drug  for  these  symptoms,  you  should  do 
something  to  remove  the  cause  of  your 
trouble. 

You  cannot  be  beautiful  and  fascinating 
if  you  are  not  healthy.  You  cannot  be 
healthy  if  the  organs  of  assimilation  and 
elimination  are  not  properly  performing 
their  functions. 

Any  piece  of  machinery  of  which  you  may 


66  My   Lady  Beautiful 

be  the  possessor  is  oiled  and  well  taken 
care  of.  Your  rooms  and  closets  are  thor- 
oughly cleansed;  the  ashes  and  cinders  re- 
moved from  the  furnace  or  stove;  but  you 
abuse  your  stomach  by  almost  literally 
throwing  into  it  great  unmasticated  pieces 
of  meat  and  other  foods,  and  numerous  irri- 
tating condiments,  thus  daily  taxing  it  be- 
yond its  normal  capacity.  Your  bowels  are 
allowed  to  become  clogged  and  to  remain 
uncleansed  for  days,  weeks,  yes,  and  even 
years,  until  they  are  forced  to  cease  func- 
tioning at  all,  death  being  the  result ;  or,  in 
their  effort  to  properly  perform  their  duties, 
pain  is  produced,  though  you  seldom  heed 
the  warning,  and  when  you  do,  it  is  in  such 
a  manner  as  to  make  it  all  the  more  difficult 
to  obtain  permanent  relief.  The  strong 
and  patent  medicines  which  you  take  act  in 
most  instances  only  as  opiates,  deadening  or 
paralyzing  the  nerves  of  sensation  to  such  an 
extent  that  you  flatter  yourself  for  a  time 
you  are  cured.  Then  what  happens  ?  Why, 


My  Lady  Beautiful  67 

the  same  trouble  returns  in  a  more  exagger- 
ated form,  or  a  new  symptom  or  so-called 
disease  makes  its  presence  felt,  while  the 
cause  of  all  your  suffering  still  exists. 

Nature  asks  many  times  only  for  an  op- 
portunity to  readjust  matters,  to  have  a  thor- 
ough housecleaning,  as  it  were,  while  you 
aggravate  the  trouble  by  forcing  upon  the 
already  over-burdened  stomach  and  bowels 
foods  and  drugs.  As  to  the  latter,  it 
stands  to  reason,  does  it  not,  that,  if  you 
are  suffering  from  rheumatism,  we  will 
say,  and  the  cause  of  the  rheumatism  is  an 
abnormal  or  clogged  condition  of  the  bowels, 
a  prescription  for  this  symptom,  or  disease 
if  you  so  choose  to  call  it,  does  not  remove 
the  cause,  as  thousands  of  people  who  have 
suffered  from  this  trouble  for  several 
months  or  even  twenty-five  or  thirty  years, 
will  testify. 

I  do  not  say  that  the  services  of  physicians 
are  never  needed,  for  this  would  not  be  true, 
but  I  do  say  that  many,  many  people  form 


68  My  Lady  Beautiful 

a  habit  of  taking  medicines,  patent  and  oth- 
erwise, without  giving  nature  a  fair  chance 
to  act  and  making  absolutely  no  effort  on 
their  own  part  to  restore  or  maintain  health. 
When  you  shall  have  realized  that  there  is 
that  within  you  which  will,  with  the  ob- 
servance of  hygiene,  in  the  majority  of 
cases,  restore  you  to  a  normal  condition,  you 
will  find  it  much  easier  to  maintain  health. 

Dr.  Charles  Gilbert  Davis,  a  well-known 
physician  of  Chicago,  made  this  statement  in 
a  magazine  article :  "Digestion,  appetite,  cir- 
culation of  the  blood,  secretion,  excretion, 
strength,  nutrition,  all,  everyone  of  these, 
are  influenced  by  what  we  think." 

Dr.  Rush,  founder  of  the  first  dispensary 
in  the  United  States,  one  of  the  signers  of 
the  Declaration  of  Independence,  and  a  noted 
author  of  medical  works,  even  in  his  time, 
recognized  the  wonderful  effect  of  the  mind 
over  the  physical  condition.  He  said :  "In 
neglecting  the  systematic  and  scientific  em- 
ployment of  mental  influence  in  the  course  of 


My  Lady  Beautiful  69 

disease,  medical  practitioners  throw  aside  a 
weapon  for  combating  it,  more  powerful 
than  all  the  drugs  in  the  Pharmacopoeia." 
Thus  you  will  realize  that  it  is  of  the  utmost 
importance  to  maintain  at  all  times  a  cheer- 
ful and  healthy  mental  poise. 

LIFE  ESSENTIALS. 

That  is  a  beautiful  plant  you  have  in  the 
window;  so  healthy  and  such  a  rich  green. 
You  must  have  seen  to  it  that  it  was  placed 
in  an  environment  adapted  to  its  needs  and 
that  it  receives  its  daily  portion  of  water. 
Of  course,  you  would  think  me  very  foolish 
should  I  insinuate  that  your  plant  would 
flou^Pf  without  proper  attention.  Why, 
just  think  of  it  for  a  moment.  This  little 
plant  surely  requires  at  least  a  half  pint  of 
water  each  day,  besides  the  nourishment  it 
receives  from  the  soil,  and  it  must  also 
have  sunshine  and  fresh  air.  Suppose  you 
neglect  to  supply  it  with  water  for  a  week 
or  two;  what  happens?  Well,  it  wouldn't 


70  My  Lady  Beautiful 

make  much  of  a  showing  even  should  it  sur- 
vive. 

Now,  your  own  requirements  are  similar 
to  those  of  the  plant.  You,  too,  need  fresh 
air,  sunshine,  and  nourishment  in  the  way 
of  pure  water  and  substantial  food.  These 
are  the  absolute  essentials  of  life,  and  if  you 
restrict  yourself  in  the  use  of  any  one  of 
them  short  of  the  demands  of  the  body  in 
just  that  proportion  do  you  cut  off  life. 

If  you  go  out  at  all,  you  will  of  necessity 
breathe  some  fresh  air,  get  some  exercise, 
and,  as  the  sun  shines  on  the  just  and  unjust 
alike,  you  cannot  altogether  fail  to  receive 
its  life-giving  qualities,  but  you  may  de- 
prive yourself  of  water,  with  the  exception 
of  the  small  proportion  in  the  various  articles 
of  food,  and  that  would  indeed  be  small  if 
you  were  eating  for  the  most  part  those  of 
a  starchy  character,  from  which  lack  of 
fluids  you  will  greatly  suffer. 

The  point  I  wish  to  make  is  this :  If  you 
want  to  be  a  healthy  woman  you  must  eat 


My  Lady  Beautiful  71 

and  drink  as  a  healthy  woman  does.  If  you 
would  become  like  Mrs.  Sunshine  you  must 
live  as  she  does. 

You  have  doubtless  noticed  a  certain  tree, 
the  topmost  branches  of  which  are  dying. 
Now,  don't  jump  to  the  conclusion  that 
the  trouble  lies  in  that  particular  part  of 
the  tree,  unless  you  know  there  are  in- 
sects or  caterpillars  at  that  point.  The 
cause  of  this  withering  is  at  the  roots, 
through  which  the  fluids  and  the  nourish- 
ment from  the  soil  are  taken  up.  The  tree, 
however,  is  located  where  the  soil  does  not 
retain  .moisture  and  it  is  dying  for  want  of 
water,  and,  naturally,  the  more  tender  part 
or  the  parts  most  remote  from  the  source  of 
supply  are  the  ones  to  earliest  succumb. 

Headaches  are  most  frequently  caused 
from  disordered  stomach  or  irregularity  of 
the  bowels,  and  these  troubles,  particularly 
the  latter,  are  the  result  generally  of  insuffi- 
cient fluids. 

You  would  consider  it  very  absurd  should 


72  My  Lady  Beautiful 

some  one  suggest  that  you  give  your  plant 
a  thimbleful  of  water,  and  yet  you  think 
nothing  of  allowing  yourself  a  less  quantity 
in  proportion  to  your  size.  This  lack  of 
fluids,  too,  in  the  system,  produces  in  time 
a  horrid  greenish-yellow  complexion  or  a 
lack  of  color,  and  a  dry,  parchment-like  skin. 
So,  to  overcome  these  troubles,  you  must  get 
more  water  into  your  system. 

"Don't  like  it,"  you  say?  O,  but  you  will, 
for  this  dislike  is  but  the  result  of  an  ab- 
normal condition  and  you  are  going  to  prac- 
tice just  what  I  shall  tell  you,  now  that  you 
understand  the  situation,  because  you  have 
quite  decided  to  become  healthy,  charming 
and  beautiful. 

What  I  shall  ask  of  you  is  just  as  easy  as 
—well,  the  easiest  thing  you  may  have  to  do 
— and  you  will  find  it  as  you  grow  healthier, 
stronger  and  brighter  becoming  more  and 
more  fascinating  each  day. 


THE    ENCHANTED    ROAD 


My  Lady  Beautiful  75 


THE  ENCHANTED  ROAD. 

I'm  sure  you  can  scarcely  imagine  what 
delights  will  be  revealed  to  you,  but  I  know. 
I  started  on  this  same  route  some  time  ago 
and  there  hasn't  been  a  day  since  that  I 
haven't  found  it  simply  enchanting.  Why, 
you  will  want  to  keep  on  and  on,  once  you 
get  in  the  right  path,  and  you'll  never  tire 
of  it  because  you  know  there's  always  some- 
thing just  ahead  that  may  be  yours  for  an- 
other higher  thought,  one  more  step,  a  put- 
ting forth  of  the  hand.  But  for  these  bright 
goals  ahead,  these  high  ideals,  we  never 
should  advance  and  could  not  possibly  realize 
the  true  joy  of  living. 

THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  A  WOMAN. 

Now,  the  quantity  of  water  or  fluids  re- 
quired by  the  human  being  depends  some- 
what upon  the  age  and  weight,  the  child,  of 
course,  needing  less  than  the  adult;  but  the 


My   Lady  Beautiful 


average  adult  should  drink  from  eight  to 
twelve  glasses  full  every  twenty-four  hours. 

Yes,  I  know  you  have  not  been  drinking 
more  than  one  glass  a  day,  and  sometimes 
only  one  in  several  days.  Your  'complexion 
and  the  texture  of  the  skin  reveal  that  much  ; 
but  you  must  remember  the  plant,  the  tree 
and  Mrs.  Sunshine.  I  know,  too,  that  you 
have  been  drinking  several  cups  of  coffee  or 
tea  each  meal. 

Would  you  believe  it,  one  of  the  most  com- 
plicated cases  I  have  ever  had  was  a  woman 
who,  when  she  came  to  me  for  treatment, 
had  been  drinking,  on  an  average,  eleven 
cups  of  coffee  daily  and  scarcely  any  water. 
I  was  not  surprised  that  she  was  suffering 
from  indigestion,  constipation,  headache, 
backache,  bloating  of  the  stomach,  extreme 
nervousness,  painful  periods,  insomnia,  fear 
and  melancholia  —  and  such  a  muddy  com- 
plexion, coarse  skin  and  hanging  chin  had 
she  that  I'm  sure  you  wouldn't  wonder  at 
her  Expression  of  mingled  worry,  irritabil- 


My  Lady  Beautiful  77 

ity  and  cynicism  had  you  seen  her.  It  was 
not  long,  however,  after  commencing  the 
course  of  treatments,  that  her  friends  began 
to  comment  on  her  improved  appearance  and 
before  she  had  completed  the  course  some  of 
her  acquaintances  who  had  not  seen  her  for 
several  months  scarcely  recognized  her,  so 
great  was  the  change.  Even  I,  who  saw  her 
three  times  each  week,  almost  marveled  at 
the  rapid  transformation.  From  a  complain- 
ing, pessimistic,  rather  gross  woman,  she  be- 
came gentle,  patient,  bright  and  entirely 
well.  She  lost  her  surplus  flesh,  her  form  be- 
coming normally  and  beautifully  propor- 
tioned, the  triple  chin  disappeared,  the 
pores  of  the  skin  contracted  to  the  proper  de- 
gree, the  complexion  became  clear  and  rosy 
and  the  general  expression  of  her  face  was 
that  of  a  woman  of  much  refinement. 

I  shall  not  soon  forget  how,  after  several 
treatments,  she  would  come  into  the  office 
saying,  "O,  you  don't  know  how  happy  I  am 
now  and  my  home  life  is  so  much  pleasanter. 


7 8  My  Lady  Beautiful 

My  husband  and  I  are  getting  along  more 
harmoniously  than  ever  before,  and  my 
music  teacher  cannot  understand  why  it  is 
that  I  am  doing  so  much  better  in  my  work. 
She  says  there  is  a  wonderful  improvement 
in  self-confidence  and  concentration."  Again 
she  would  come  in  like  a  sudden  burst  of 
sunshine,  her  eyes  sparkling,  her  face 
wreathed  with  smiles,  and  exclaim,  "If  you 
continue  to  make  me  happier  I  don't  know 
what's  going  to  become  of  me." 

To  be  sure,  this  woman  had  to  "cut  down" 
on  coffee  and  tea.  At  first,  the  limit  was 
three  cups  daily,  then  one,  with  a  propor- 
tionate increase  of  water. 

EATING:   HOW,   MORE  IMPORTANT  THAN 
WHAT. 

There  are  four  things  regarding  the  mat- 
ter of  eating  which  cannot  be  overlooked  if 
you  are  seeking  health,  namely;  the  quality 
of  the  food,  its  thorough  mastication,  diges- 
tion and  assimilation. 


My  Lady  Beautiful  79 

The  manner  in  which  the  majority  of  per- 
sons eat — and  I  hope  you  are  not  of  the  num- 
ber— especially  in  the  large  cities,  is  appall- 
ing. Men  are  more  subject  to  criticism  on 
this  point  than  are  women.  They  rush  to  a 
lunch  counter,  call  for  a  roll  or  a  piece  of 
bakery  pie  and  a  cup  of  coffee  and  one  would 
scarcely  realize  that  they  had  been  served 
before  they  are  on  their  way  out,  almost  on 
a  run. 

A  gentleman  acquaintance  was  one  day 
complaining  of  great  distress  of  the  stomach 
and  incidentally  remarked  that  as  his  time 
was  limited  he  ate  for  luncheon  three  dough- 
nuts (bakery  goods)  and  drank  a  cup  of  cof- 
fee. When  asked  why  he  had  not  eaten  rolls 
instead  of  "greasy"  doughnuts  he  replied 
that  he  did  not  have  time  to  butter  them. 

Like  hundreds  of  others,  this  man  had  the 
mistaken  idea  that  it  was  better  to  actually 
throw  something  into  the  stomach,  regard- 
less of  mastication,  simply  because  it  was  the 
usual  luncheon  hour.  He  did  not  even  con- 


8o  My  Lady  Beautiful 

sider  that  it  would  have  been  far  better  to  eat 
one  doughnut  and  masticate  it  thoroughly 
than  to  send  three  down  in  great  pieces  to 
the  poor,  abused  stomach. 

Doubtless  you  have  known  persons  to  get 
up  several  hours  before  their  regular  time  in 
order  to  catch  a  train  and,  though  not  at 
all  hungry,  eat  a  large  breakfast,  be- 
cause they  might  not  have  another  opportu- 
nity to  eat  before  midday. 

I  have  seen  women  clerks  and  stenogra- 
phers sit  down  to  a  luncheon  consisting  of 
meat,  potatoes,  bread,  pickles,  cake,  pie,  cof- 
fee and  salad,  perhaps  adding  to  this  a  dish 
of  ice  cream,  and  eat  it  all  in  the  time  re- 
quired by  another  to  dispose  of  only  a  side 
dish  of  vegetables,  a  slice  of  good  entire 
wheat  bread  and  a  serving  of  fruit.  The 
former  were  eating  an  outdoor  laborer's  por- 
tion of  food,  not  taking  into  consideration 
that,  improperly  masticated  as  it  was,  and 
leading  a  sedentary  life  as  they  were,  this 
placing  upon  the  stomach  such  a  task  was 


My  Lady  Beautiful  81 

one  against  which,  sooner  or  later,  it  would 
rebel. 

The  rapid  eater  almost  invariably  partakes 
of  an  over  supply  of  food,  taxing  the  stom- 
ach to  such  an  extent  that  it  cannot  supply 
the  necessary  fluids  for  the  proper  care  of 
this  abnormal  quantity.  Thus  it  is  that 
many  large  eaters  are  in  a  constant  state 
of  starvation,  and  so  it  is  that  indigestion 
and  constipation,  with  all  their  train  of 
evils,  are  frequently  produced.  However, 
I  cannot  refrain  from  saying  that  thous- 
ands are  starving  both  body  and  brain  by 
eating  too  little. 

The  engine  will  serve  to  illustrate  the 
point.  The  machinery  may  be  in  perfect 
condition,  clean,  and  well  oiled.  The  valves 
and  various  other  parts  may  be  adjusted 
and  yet  it  does  not  move.  Why?  Because 
there  is  no  steam.  And  why  is  this  ?  Well, 
the  fireman  failed  to  supply  the  firebox  with 
coal,  without  which  there  is  no  motive 
power.  Now,  if  you  do  not  supply  your  fire- 


82  My  Lady  Beautiful 

box — the  stomach — with  a  sufficient  quan- 
tity of  fuel  of  the  proper  kind — food  and 
water — that  which  will  furnish  to  the  body 
blood  and  tissue,  life,  energy  and  motive 
power,  it  cannot  carry  on  its  necessary  func- 
tions. The  tree,  again,  will  serve  as  another 
illustration.  Deprived  of  water  and  the  nu- 
trition which  it  ordinarily  receives  from  the 
soil  it  soon  dies.  So  it  is  clear  that,  in  order 
to  maintain  life  and  health,  you  must  eat 
and  thoroughly  masticate  a  reasonable  quan- 
tity of  nutritious  food. 

As  to  quality,  it  is  important  that  you 
should  eat  plain,  substantial  food,  served  in 
a  dainty  and  appetizing  manner.  As  to 
whether  it  be  a  meat,  vegetable  or  fruit  diet, 
you  must,  to  a  great  extent,  be  your  own 
judge.  The  occupation  and  daily  habits 
have  much  to  do  with  this.  In  my  opinion, 
entirely  too  much  meat  is  eaten.  In  fact, 
I  believe  the  majority  of  persons  would  be 
healthier  without  it,  providing  nutritious 
vegetables,  fruits,  and  nuts  in  moderation, 


My  Lady  Beautiful  83 

were  substituted.  If  you  are  on  the  farm, 
pursuing  the  ordinary  duties  of  the  farmer's 
wife,  meat  may  be  indulged  in  several  times 
a  week  and  thoroughly  digested,  but,  if 
your  occupation  confines  you  to  the  house  or 
office,  it  may  well  be  omitted. 

If  you  are  an  early  riser  and  your  tasks 
begin  soon  after  getting  up,  continuing 
throughout  the  day,  you  should  not  do  with- 
out breakfast.  Your  physical  range  must 
be  supplied  every  morning  with  fuel  before 
it  can  be  of  service.  Even  the  animals  are 
begging  for  their  portion  before  you  are  up, 
and  it  is  cruelty  to  deprive  your  body  of  that 
which  it  requires  for  its  healthful  mainten- 
ance. To  be  sure,  if  your  daily  tasks  are 
very  light,  if  you  arise  late,  say  ten  o'clock, 
then  the  luncheon  may  easily  serve  for  two 
meals,  the  heavier  meal  coming  at  the  close 
of  the  day. 

Never  eat,  as  before  stated,  while  in  a 
state  of  undue  mental  excitement  or  when 
bodily  or  mentally  fatigued.  It  is  impos- 


84  My  Lady  Beautiful 

sible  for  the  food  to  digest  under  such  con- 
ditions, as  there  is  a  decrease  of  the  saliva 
and  other  fluids  necessary  to  this  important 
function. 

As  has  already  been  said,  cheerful 
thoughts  and  cheerful  conversation  should 
accompany  the  eating,  and  I  am  confident 
you  will  put  this  in  practice  every  day  and 
every  meal,  now,  that  you  understand  the 
beneficial  results  to  the  functioning  organs. 

Sit  erect  at  table,  as  your  stomach  cannot 
perform  its  duty  while  that  portion  of  the 
body  above  it  drops  down  and  presses  upon 
it.  The  digestive  organs  must  have  the 
space  allowed  by  nature  in  which  to  properly 
carry  on  their  work. 

Eat  slowly  and  masticate  every  mouthful 
of  food  to  a  fluid.  If  you  will  follow  these 
two  rules  there  is  little  danger  of  overeating. 

As  the  mind  plays  a  most  important  part 
in  the  work  of  the  digestive  and  assimila- 
tive functions,  it  is  helpful  to  mentally  say 
when  eating  (until  a  normal  condition  has 


My  Lady  Beautiful  85 

been  produced),  "This  food  will  agree  with 
me.  It  will  make  new,  rich  blood,  generate 
strength  and  make  me  healthy.  I  will  mas- 
ticate every  mouthful  to  a  pulp  that  it  may 
pass  to  the  stomach  in  a  condition  to  be 
properly  cared  for.  By  masticating  thor- 
oughly, the  saliva  is  increased,  thus  assisting 
in  the  digestion  and  assimilation.  I  know, 
too,  that  I  must  eat  a  sufficient  quantity  of 
food  of  a  nourishing  character  to  make  me 
strong  and  healthy.  I  am  hungry  and  enjoy 
every  mouthful  because  I  know  it  will  not 
only  strengthen  the  body,  but  the  brain  as 
well,  and  will  produce  hope,  ambition  and 
high  aspirations." 

THE  DAILY  REJUVENATION. 
You  have  an  intimation  of  the  wonder- 
fully rejuvenating  effect  of  the  smile  which 
last  night  and  this  morning  you  experiment- 
ed upon;  you  realize  in  a  slight  degree  the 
helpfulness  of  the  pleasant  thoughts  and  the 
invocation  for  self  and  others  as  indulged  in 


86  My  Lady  Beautiful 

before  sleep  came  to  you.  You  feel  a  new 
elasticity  of  the  muscles  since  your  walk  in 
God's  pure,  health-giving  air — your  air — 
and  you  are  now  more  than  willing  to  spend 
five  or  ten  minutes  this  afternoon,  providing 
you  are  not  employed  in  some  business  or 
profession  taking  you  away  from  home,  in 
the  manner  hereafter  indicated. 

Should  your  time  not  be  your  own  during 
the  day,  take  some  time  in  the  evening.  De- 
cide upon  an  hour  most  convenient  for  you, 
a  period  when  least  likely  to  be  disturbed, 
and  under  no  circumstances  allow  anything 
to  turn  you  from  this  part  of  your  daily  pro- 
gram. Hold  these  five  or  ten  minutes  as  sa- 
cred to  the  cause  to  which  you  have  assigned 
them. 

Go  to  your  room,  place  yourself  in  a  re- 
cumbent position,  close  the  eyes  and  relax 
as  you  did  last  night. 

Say,  as  you  did  then,  "I  am  quiet  and 
easy,  easy,  easy  and  calm.  Mind  and  body 
are  in  perfect  harmony.  I  am  growing  bet- 


My  Lady  Beautiful  87 

ter,  brighter,  stronger  and  happier.  New 
and  beautiful  things  in  life  are  being  re- 
vealed to  me  and  as  I  live  in  harmony  with 
the  laws  of  nature,  health  will  be  restored 
entirely  and  happiness  and  success  will  be 
mine  in  full  measure.  I  realize  that,  to  at- 
tain the  highest  and  best  m  life  mentally, 
morally  and  spiritually,  the  foundation  must 
be  a  strong  and  healthy  body,  for  it  is  that 
through  which  the  real  I  must  function.  To 
attain  health  I  must  partake  of  the  life  essen- 
tials— air,  sunshine,  food  and  water,  in  pro- 
portion to  the  needs  of  the  body.  Every  day 
I  shall  exercise  in  the  fresh  air  and  sunshine ; 
I  shall  eat  nourishing  food  and  drink  an 
abundance  (at  least  two  quarts)  of  good, 
pure  water." 

HOW    TO    DRINK   WATER:     A    CURE    FOR 
CONSTIPATION. 

At  this  point  a  little  explanation  is  nec- 
essary. Don't,  at  first,  drink  a  glassful  of 
water  at  once,  but  sip  it  slowly,  sipping 


88  My  Lady  Beautiful 

many,  many  times  during  the  day.  Neither 
should  you  drink  iced  water,  iced  tea  nor 
other  excessively  cold  fluids,  as  sudden 
changes  of  temperature  cause  a  benumbing 
effect  upon  the  walls  of  the  stomach,  render- 
ing- it  unfit  for  efficient  service.  Whatever 
you  may  be  doing  in  the  house  or  office, 
you  can,  in  all  probability,  have  a  glass  of 
water  at  your  side,  from  which  you  may  sip 
at  frequent  intervals,  mentally  suggesting 
the  result  desired. 

That  "thoughts  become  deeds"  is  a  fact 
as  true  as  life  itself;  and  that  which  you 
suggest  or  repeat  again  and  again  to  your- 
self, with  the  desire  and  expectation  of  ful- 
fillment, will  surely  come  to  pass.  Thus,  you 
may  readily  understand  wThy  it  is  of  value 
in  sipping  the  water  to  accompany  the  act 
with  the  thought  or  auto-suggestion  of  the 
physical  condition  which  you  are  desirous 
of  producing;  so  in  this  daily  self -treatment 
you  should  continue  in  this  manner : 

"Every  sip  that  I  take  will  increase  assim- 


My  Lady  Beautiful  89 

ilation  and  elimination.  Every  time  I  sip 
I  shall  say  to  myself,  this  will  give  me  a 
good,  healthy  appetite  and  I  shall  be  hungry, 
hungry,  hungry  for  each  meal  and  every 
mouthful  of  food  I  eat  will  taste  good  and 
digest  thoroughly."  (Greater  emphasis  will 
be  given  the  suggestion  by  placing  the  hand 
on  the  stomach  when  speaking  of  the  di- 
gestion.) "Every  sip  of  water  I  take  will 
increase  the  power  of  assimilation  by  cre- 
ating a  greater  supply  of  gastric  juice." 
(Commence  with  the  water  before  breakfast 
by  having  a.  glassful  on  your  dresser,  sipping 
it  as  you  dress.  If  you  desire,  you  may 
drink  a  cup  of  chocolate  or  milk  at  breakfast. 
These,  and  soup  at  dinner,  are  counted  as  a 
part  of  the  two  quarts  of  fluids  for  the  day. 
A  portion  of  the  water  you  will  drink  be- 
tween breakfast  and  luncheon,  between 
luncheon  and  dinner,  before  going  to  bed 
and  a  little  at  meal  time.) 

"While  eating  I  shall  say  to  myself,  this 
food  will  make  new,  rich  blood  and  give 


90  My  Lady  Beautiful 

me  greater  strength  and  endurance.  I  shall 
feel  hungry,  hungry,  hungry  every  morning ; 
for  the  body  must  be  supplied  with  nour- 
ishment, as  the  engine  is  supplied  with  coal, 
that  the  machinery  may  be  kept  in  working 
order. 

"With  every  sip  of  water  I  drink  I  shall 
think,  this  is  to  increase  the  action  of  the 
bowels  (place  your  hand  over  the  bowels). 
Tomorrow  morning  at  (select  a  convenient 
time  and  keep  every  engagement  with  your- 
self) they  will  move  freely,  freely  and  nat- 
urally." Soon  the  bowels  will  obey  the  di- 
rection of  the  mind  and  properly  perform 
their  function. 

MANIPULATION  OF  THE  BOWELS. 
To  further  increase  the  action,  each  day 
while  taking  the  general  treatment  and  while 
in  the  relaxed  state,  flex  the  knees  (draw 
them  up  towards  the  body,  letting  the  soles 
of  the  feet  rest  on  the  couch)  and,  commenc- 
ing at  the  lower  right  hand  side  of  the  bow- 


My  Lady  Beautiful  91 

els,  close  to  the  ilium,  gently,  but  deeply, 
manipulate  upward  until  about  on  a  line  with 
the  navel;  then  move  transversely  in  the 
same  manner  and  down  on  the  left  side  to 
the  lower  pafrt  of  the  bowels.  Repeat  this 
several  times.  Then,  placing  the  palm  over 
the  bowels,  press  gently,  moving  the  hand 
without  raising  it  so  as  to  describe  a  circle, 
from  right  to  left,  over  the  entire  bowel  re- 
gion. 

You,  need  not  be  surprised  nor  alarmed 
if,  after  several  treatments,  your  bowels 
should  move  a  number  of  times  in  one 
day.  This  is  frequently  the  case,  but 
it  will  be  a  cause  for  rejoicing  as  the  "house- 
cleaning"  process  will  be  only  the  more 
quickly  performed. 

HOW  TO  INCREASE  OR  REDUCE  FLESH. 

It  may  seem  somewhat  strange  to  you 
that  the  process,  in  part,  for  gaining  in 
weight  may  be  employed  also  for  the  reduc- 
tion of  obesity,  but  it  is  logical  and  in  ac- 


92  My  Lady   Beautiful 

cordance  with  natural  laws,  it  being  neces- 
sary in  either  case  to  attain  a  normal  condi- 
tion of  the  functioning  organs  and  of  the 
circulation  of  the  blood. 

There  is  in  obesity,  as  well  as  in  leanness, 
a  lack  of  assimilation  and  proper  elimina- 
tion. So,  while  sipping  the  water,  the  sug- 
gestions for  these  two  conditions  are  the 
same,  except  when  it  is  desired  to  increase 
the  weight  you  should  say,  "I  shall  daily  gain 
in  weight.  Each  week  I  expect  to  gain  two 
pounds  (or  any  reasonable  gain).  Every 
mouthful  of  food  properly  assimilated,  in- 
creases the  rich,  pure  blood  and  adds  to  my 
strength  and  weight." 

For  overcoming  obesity  you  will  say,  "As 
the  organs  of  assimilation  and  elimination 
are  now  properly  performing  their  respect- 
ive duties,  the  blood  is  circulating  normally, 
all  waste  is  being  carried  away  and  my 
weight  is  decreasing.  I  am  growing  lighter 
and  lighter  each  day.  Each  week  I  shall 
lose  two  'pounds.  My  food  is  assimilating 


My  Lady  Beautiful  93 

properly,  all  waste  is  being  carried  off  and  I 
am  growing  better  in  every  way." 

I  have  known  two  persons  to  use  this 
method  at  the  same  time,  one  for  the  in- 
crease, the  other  for  the  decrease  in  weight, 
the  former  gaining  two  and  one-half  pounds 
in  two  weeks,  the  latter  losing  three  pounds, 
and  this  without  any  special  change  in  the 
diet,  with  the  possible  exception  of  food  of  a 
more  nourishing  character  in  the  case  of  the 
thin  person. 

In  connection  with  the  treatment  for  obe- 
sity you  may,  if  you  desire,  use  some  of  the 
physical  exercises  hereinafter  given,  though 
in  many  cases  this  is  unnecessary. 

A     FEW     REMARKS     REGARDING     SLEEP- 
LESSNESS. 

You  are  certainly  making  splendid  prog- 
ress. You  already  feel  wonderfully  uplifted 
and  the  second  morning  after  beginning  the 
new  life  finds  you  surprisingly  refreshed 
mentally,  physically  and  spiritually.  You 


94  My  Lady  Beautiful 

have  even  slept  better.  By  the  way,  I  want 
to  say  that  you  must  never  go  to  bed  hungry. 
You  will  not  be  able  to  sleep  well  if  you  do, 
for  the  stomach,  having  nothing  to  do,  will 
have  need  of  but  a  small  supply  of  blood  and 
this  will  cause  an  increased  flow  to  the  brain 
and  you  simply  can't  sleep  under  such  condi- 
tions. A  cracker  or  bit  of  bread  will  doubt- 
less be  sufficient  to  keep  the  stomach  at  work 
long  enough  to  get  the  blood  away  from  the 
brain  and  allow  sweet  sleep  to  overcome  you. 
Of  course,  you  must  be  in  a  relaxed  and 
easy  condition  and  the  instructions  already 
given  for  relaxation  and  composure  will 
doubtless  be  all  that  are  necessary  if  you 
have  taken  sufficient  food  and  exercise  dur- 
ing the  day. 

HOW  TO  MASTER  THE  EMOTIONS:    MAGIC 
WORDS  FOR  THE  COMPLEXION. 

I  am  confident  you  are  going  to  overcome 
fear,  worry,  anger,  and  all  those  other  hor- 
rid things  that  have  troubled  you  so  much 


My  Lady  Beautiful  95 

and  have  so  largely  controlled  your  physical 
condition,  and  the  effort  to  master  these  is 
so  much  less  when  you  go  about  it  scientific- 
ally, quietly,  sensibly  and  in  accordance  with 
the  Divine  plan,  that  you  will  doubtless  be 
amazed  at  the  rapid  transformation  of  your 
character. 

These  abnormal  conditions  of  the  emo- 
tions may  be  overcome  just  as  easily  as  the 
physical  troubles  and  in  the  same  manner,  by 
substituting  a  few  words  for  some  of  those 
used  in  the  preceding  treatment. 

For  instance,  you  will  say,  "I  am  growing 
strong  and  courageous;  I  am  gaining  con- 
trol over  myself ;  I  am  gaining  the  mastery ; 
peace,  love  and  harmony  shall  be  mine  every 
day  and  at  all  times;  daily  I  am  growing 
brighter  and  happier;  each  day  gives  me 
greater  cause  for  rejoicing;  brighter,  bright- 
er, happier,  happier,  braver,  braver,  calmer 
all  the  time." 

Dear  one,  magic  is  in  these  words.  Say 
them  again  and  again,  not  only  while  treat- 


96  My  Lady  Beautiful 

ing  yourself,  but  many,  many  times  during 
every  hour  of  the  day.  You  will  find  them, 
together  with  the  cleansing  process,  better 
for  the  complexion  than  any  cosmetic  ever 
compounded.  They  will  make  your  eyes 
sparkle,  too ;  will  bring  those  pleasing  curves 
about  the  lips  and  a  sweet  and  refined  expres- 
sion to  the  face.  They  are  a  tonic  to  the 
mental,  moral,  physical  and  spiritual  attri- 
butes, greater  than  which  human  invention 
cannot  offer. 

HOW    TO    OVERCOME    NAUGHTY    FACIAL 
CONTORTIONS. 

By  the  way,  I  wonder  if  you  squint  just 
a  wee  bit,  especially  when  you  are  facing 
the  bright  sunlight ;  and,  I  wonder,  too,  if 
you  curl  up  your  nose  something  like  a  cun- 
ning little  rabbit.  Of  course,  it  looks  just 
"too  cute  for  anything"  when  bunny  does  it, 
but,  oh,  dear,  you  are  not  a  rabbit  and  that 
makes  all  the  difference  in  the  world.  I 
wouldn't  do  it  if  I  were  you  for  it  will  make 


My  Lady  Beautiful  97 

permanent  lines  after  a  while  and  I  am  sure 
you  wouldn't  like  that. 

Squinting  is  a  horrid  habit,  and  so  is  any 
other  facial  contortion,  such  as  drawing  the 
mouth  to  one  side  or  biting  the  lips.  I  have 
known  some  otherwise  really  fine  looking 
women,  make  themselves  disagreeable  by  do- 
ing these  things.  I  believe  you  do  none  of 
them,  or,  if  so,  they  are  habits  formed  when 
you  were  too  young  to  realize  that  your 
beauty  was  marred  thereby  and  you  just 
haven't  thought  of  it.  You  may  overcome 
them,  however.  Aren't  you  glad?  Why,  all 
you  have  to  do  is — well,  suppose  you  catch 
yourself  in  the  very  act.  Go  to  your  mirror 
at  the  first  opportunity  and  make  the  same 
naughty  face  at  yourself,  squinting  or  what- 
ever it  may  be,  just  to  see  how  you  look. 
It  isn't  at  all  nice,  is  it?  If  you  do  it  again, 
and  I  wouldn't  be  surprised  if  you  do,  for 
it  has  grown  on  you,  or  if  you  make  con- 
tortions with  your  lips,  or  your  nose,  go  at 
once  where  you  may  inhale  slowly  and  deep- 


98  My  Lady  Beautiful 

ly  the  fresh  air  several  times.  The  muscles 
become  relaxed  and  you  feel  calm  and  quiet. 
Now  say  to  yourself :  "My  face  is  in  perfect 
repose;  my  eyes  are  steady  and  strong;  I 
can  see  well ;  I  know  that,  in  order  to  retain 
my  youthful  appearance,  eyes,  nose  and 
mouth  must  remain  in  a  natural  position ;  the 
muscles  of  my  face  are  easy  and  relaxed; 
I  have  perfect  control  over  them  and  I  shall 
grow  in  grace,  beauty  and  youth  fulness  each 
day." 

THE   SWEETEST   FACE   IMAGINABLE. 

You  are  looking  much  better  already. 
Just  keep  on  trying  every  day  for  a  while 
and  you'll  have  the  sweetest  face  imaginable, 
for  not  only  will  you  overcome  the  old  hab- 
its, but,  more  than  all  else,  the  new  love  and 
light  are  going  to  make  rounded  cheeks,  ten- 
derly curved  lips  and  beautifully  expressive 
eyes. 

Sweetness  and  purity  go  with  modesty, 
and  the  face  will  always  reveal  these  lovely 


My  Lady  Beautiful  99 

traits.  They  just  simply  shine  through,  and 
though  a  woman  be  born  beautiful  these 
make  her  far  more  radiant,  charming  and 
fascinating. 

THE  CURE  FOR  PAINFUL  AND  IRREGULAR 
PERIODS. 

In  the  preceding  pages  mention  is  made 
of  painful  periods,  with  constipation  as  the 
probable  cause  of  this,  as  well  as  many  other 
troubles.  Such  being  the  case,  relief  will 
almost  invariably  come  with  the  regulation 
of  the  bowels ;  however,  serious  cases  of  pain 
and  irregularity  sometimes  require  a  little 
special  attention,  and  to  this  end  I  shall  give 
explicit  suggestions  for  this  particular  afflic- 
tion. 

If  it  is  pain  alone  from  which  you  are  suf- 
fering, begin  at  least  two  weeks  before  the 
time  of  your  sickness  and  auto-suggest  dur- 
ing your  daily  treatment : 

"All  will  be  easy  and  well  with  me.  Easy, 
easy  and  natural,  easy  and  quiet;  strength 


ioo         My  Lady  Beautiful 

and  vigor  are  increasing  every  day  and  dur- 
ing this  period  I  shall  be  well,  bright  and 
happy." 

When  the  time  comes,  say,  as  you  place 
your  hand  over  the  lower  part  of  the  abdo- 
men, "all  is  easy  and  well;  as  I  place  my 
hand  here  and  concentrate  upon  this  part 
of  my  body,  I  realize  that  the  circulation 
becomes  normal,,  and,  as  the  mind  and  blood 
are  the  great  healing  mediums  of  the  body, 
all  will  be  easy  and  natural — in  perfect  ac- 
cord with  nature." 

Repeat  this  several  times  with  the  full  ex- 
pectation that  your  desire  will  be  fulfilled. 

If  you  have  been  irregular,  this  trouble 
also  may  be  readily  overcome.  Bear  in  mind, 
however,  that  the  observance  of  hygienic 
rules,  as  already  given,  are  of  no  less  im- 
portance in  the  restoration  and  maintenance 
of  health  than  is  proper  thinking. 

For  the  regulation  of  the  periods  add  to 
your  auto-suggestions  the  following: 

"Menstruation  will  begin  on  the  (mention 


My  Lady  Beautiful          101 

a  date  twenty-eight  days  from  the  last  time) 
and  will  be  perfectly  easy  and  natural."  Re- 
peat this  daily  during  your  regular  relaxa- 
tion periods  with  the  full  expectation  that 
such  will  be  the  case.  Also  mark  on  your 
calendar  the  special  day  and  look  at  it  many, 
many  times,  mentally  suggesting  that  this 
is  the  day  when  the  periods  will  begin.  If 
the  first  month  brings  no  perceptible  change, 
either  as  to  regularity  or  the  cessation  of 
pain,  do  not  give  up,  but  continue  the  treat- 
ment, and  surprising  results  will  be  produced 
in  a  comparatively  short  time.  Some  wo- 
men have  even  set  the  hour  and  have  not 
been  disappointed. 

What  a  glorious  thing  it  is  to  pass  over 
this  period  with  never  a  headache,  backache 
nor  pain,  and  scarcely  a  knowledge  of  its 
existence.  How  happy  you  are  to  be  strong 
and  well,  enjoying  your  walks  every  day  in 
the  month  and  every  month  in  the  year. 


102         My   Lady  Beautiful 


THE  JOY  OF  LIVING. 
What  a  positive  delight  is  it  to  live  when 
the  rich,  red  blood  is  coursing  through  the 
veins ;  when  you  feel  not  an  ache  nor  a  pain ; 
when  your  step  is  buoyant;  when  mind  and 
body  are  in  perfect  harmony.  Then  it  is 
that  you  think  more  and  more  of  the  beauti- 
ful in  nature,  art  and  literature;  then  it  is 
that  your  spirituality  develops;  your  sym- 
pathies are  broadened  and  every  living  crea- 
ture, whether  man  or  beast,  is  the  object  of 
your  justice,  your  kindness  and  love.  Every 
unselfish  thought,  word  and  deed  add  to  your 
beauty  and  powers  of  fascination. 

DEEP  BREATHING  AND  MENTI-PHYSICAL 
CULTURE. 

With  the  daily  walk  it  is  not  necessary  to 
go  into  the  physical  culture  exercises  to  a 
great  extent,  except  where  office  duties,  sew- 
ing or  other  sedentary  work  keep  you  close- 
ly confined,  and  even  then  it  is  not  necessary 


CORRECT   POSITION 


My  Lady  Beautiful          105 

to  take  up  an  elaborate  course.  A  few  sim- 
ple exercises,  bringing  into  play  every  mus- 
cle of  the  body  I  have  found  to  be  far  more 
beneficial  than  a  great  number. 

The  exercises  should  be  taken  preferably 
— a  few  light  ones — before  breakfast  and 
gone  into  more  extensively  before  retiring. 
Correct  breathing,  however,  is  one  of  the 
most  important  factors  for  the  restoration 
and  maintenance  of  health,  and  should  be 
practiced  whenever  it  is  possible  to  inhale 
the  fresh  air.  There  is  nothing  equal  to  it 
for  producing  normal  circulation  of  the 
blood,  for  expansion  of  the  chest  and  for 
toning  up  and  strengthening  the  system  gen- 
erally. The  physical  exercises  should  always 
be  preceded  by  slow,  deep  inhalations  in  a 
thoroughly  ventilated  room. 

Dress  in  only  the  loosest  and  lightest  of 
clothing,  preferably  a  union  suit,  if  in  your 
room,  as  it  conforms  to  every  movement  of 
the  body,  with  no  tight  bands  about  the  neck 
or  waist.  Now  you  are  ready  to  begin. 


106         My  Lady  Beautiful 

Think  of  it!  What  you  are  about  to  do 
will  not  only  make  you  very  much  brighter 
and  stronger  for  the  day,  but  will  be  of  per- 
manent help  in  the  uniform  development  of 
the  body. 

Of  course,  you  will  impress  your  mind 
with  the  object  of  each  movement,  for  every 
one  is  intended  for  a  special  purpose. 

Your  window  is  open  and  the  never-fail- 
ing God's  air — His  gift  to  you — is  pouring 
into  your  room,  penetrating  every  corner, 
making  the  atmosphere  pure  and  sweet. 

Don't  forget  to  smile  at  this  time.  Re- 
member that  the  day  will  be  for  you  one  of 
calmness,  hopefulness  and  cheerfulness.  You 
will  from  this  time  on  proceed  with  all  things 
deliberately  and  easily,  all  tasks  will  be  light- 
er for  thinking  of  them  as  cheerfully  as 
possible  and  to  this  end  it  will  be  necessary 
for  you  to  begin  the  day  aright. 

DEEP    BREATHING. 

As  you  stand  erect,  heels  together,  chest 
thrown  forward,  hips  back,  you  will  inhale 


My  Lady  Beautiful          107 

and  exhale  deeply  and  slowly  this  morning 
three  times  before  beginning  the  exercises. 
Every  inhalation  means  a  renewal  of  life, 
strength  and  beauty. 

You  are  saying  as  you  stand,  breathing 
this  elixir,  "With  every  breath  I  am  partak- 
ing of  life — joyous  life — I  am  daily  renew- 
ing my  youth ;  I  am  growing  brighter,  more 
patient  and  courageous.  Today  I  shall  be 
master  of  all  my  emotions." 

Have  you  ever  thought  of  the  fact  that 
the  new-born  infant's  first  act  after  entering 
upon  the  arena  of  life  is  to  get  into  its  lungs 
a  supply  of  air  ?  It  is  then  that  it  has  its  first 
exercise  in  breathing  and  every  minute  of  its 
life  thereafter  it  breathes,  of  course,  and  it  is 
only  after  growing  up,  putting  on  close  fit- 
ting garments,  tight  collars  and  living  in 
poorly  ventilated  rooms  that  one  ceases  to 
breathe  properly. 

You  might  abstain  from  food  for  some 
days ;  live  without  water  for  a  short  time  and 
exist  for  an  indefinite  period  without  sun- 


io8         My  Lady  Beautiful 

shine,  but  you  cannot  live  long  without  fresh 
air.  So,  of  all  the  life  essentials,  this  is  the 
most  important  and  to  get  all  of  it  possible, 
sufficient  to  meet  the  requirements  of  the 
system,  deep  breathing  should  have  special 
attention. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  limit  this  special 
deep  breathing  to  the  times  when  taking 
physical  exercises,  for  it  may  be  indulged  in 
as  before  stated,  anywhere  and  at  any  time — 
on  open  cars,  while  walking,  wheeling,  driv- 
ing, etc.  It  is  by  means  of  this  manner  of 
breathing  that  you  fill  your  body  with  re- 
newed energy  and  life,  for  pure,  fresh  air 
and  sunshine  contain  the  very  essence  of 
life. 

The  lungs  require  oxygen,  just  as  the 
stomach  requires  its  special  nourishment, 
for  distribution  to  the  various  parts  of  the 
body,  and  this  cannot  be  obtained  in  suffi- 
cient quantities  to  meet  the  demands  if  only 
shallow  breathing  is  indulged  in,  nor  can  it 
be  had  in  poorly  ventilated  rooms. 


My  Lady  Beautiful          109 

Have  you  ever  taken  into  consideration 
the  fact  that  you  may  breathe  with  a  pur- 
pose; that  is,  that  you  may  breathe  for  the 
benefit  of  certain  ailments  of  lungs,  throat, 
bronchial  tubes*,  and  really  for  any  part  of 
the  thorax,  and  indirectly  for  the  entire 
body,  as  the  latter  depends  upon  the  vital 
organs  for  its  supplies?  I  would  have  you 
keep  this  specially  in  mind  while  taking 
breathing  exercises. 

LUNG  GYMNASTICS. 

Now,  I  am  going  to  tell  you  something 
about  lung  gymnastics.  The  first  will  be  the 
Lung  Bath. 

Have  you  ever  realized  that  the  lungs  are 
abused  probably  more  than  any  other  organ 
of  the  body  ?  Now  and  'then  the  stomach  re- 
bels to  such  an  extent  that  it  gets  a  little  rest 
and  there  are  times,  even  in  the  case  of  the 
heartiest  eaters,  between  meals  and  during 
sleeping  hours,  when  there  is  a  slight  respite 
for  this  overworked  organ — but  the  lungs 


1 1  o         My   Lady  Beautiful 

get  only  the  little  air  they  may  during  your 
short  periods  out  of  doors,  unless  you  are 
wise  enough  to  keep  your  window  open  dur- 
ing sleeping  hours,  which  the  majority  of 
people  fail  to  do.  As  a  busy  housewife  or  an 
office  employee,  your  lungs  often  fare  badly 
as  you  are  likely  to  remain  indoors  for  days 
in  succession,  especially  during  the  winter 
months,  with  all  means  of  ventilation  closed 
day  and  night. 

Do  you  know  it  would  be  a  dreadful  thing, 
too  disgusting  to  mention  ordinarily,  to  be 
compelled  to  eat  food  which  has  been  ex- 
pelled from  the  mouth  ?  And  yet,  you  prob- 
ably think  absolutely  nothing  of  breathing 
air  exhaled  again  and  again  from  the  lungs 
of  others — and,  in  many  cases,  diseased 
lungs  at  that.  You  have  done  it  thousands 
of  times  and  are  doing  it  every  day  while 
you  remain  in  an  unventilated  room. 

Now,  if  you  want  a  good,  clear  complex- 
ion, an  active  brain  and  a  healthy  body  you 
must  take  a  daily  lung  bath. 


My  Lady  Beautiful  1 1 1 

Perhaps  you  have  never  heard  of  such  a 
proceeding,  but  it  is  certainly  time  that  you 
should  become  acquainted  with  this  wonder- 
ful cleansing  process. 

During  the  day  you  have  probably  taken 
in  a  great  quantity  of  stale  air  while  in  your 
badly  ventilated  rooms.  Of  course,  you 
should  have  good  ventilation,  if  at  all  pos- 
sible, but  many  persons  fear  a  little  fresh 
air  as  they  would  a  venomous  snake.  If 
you  are  associated  with  this  class  you  must 
do  the  best  you  can  under  the  circumstances 
and  at  every  possible  opportunity  get  out  of 
doors  and  inhale  all  you  can  of  nature's 
greatest  tonic — this  very  elixir  of  life, 
though  you  may  greet  the  morning  and  pre- 
pare for  the  day  in  your  own  room  by  a 
little  physical  culture. 

THE  LUNG  BATH. 

In  taking  the  lung  bath,  begin  by  inhal- 
ing slowly  and  deeply  through  the  nose  once, 
twice,  three  times,  expelling  the  breath  after 
each  inhalation  with  one  quick  exhalation 


1 1  2          My  Lady  Beautiful 

through  the  mouth.  Your  lungs  are  now 
ready  to  inhale  and  exhale  slowly  and  deep- 
ly in  the  natural  way;  that  is,  through  the 
nostrils,  which  should  be  done  three  times 
until  the  lungs  become  accustomed  to  the 
renovation,  when  you  may  gradually  work 
up  to  nine  times.  When  you  can  feel  the 
inhalation  reaching  to  the  pit  of  the  stomach 
you  may  be  assured  that  your  lungs  are  do- 
ing good  work. 

It  is  just  as  well  to  take  this  lung  bath 
twice  a  day  and  I  know  of  no  other  better 
time  than  the  morning,  this  time  out  of 
doors.  This  may  be  done  while  walking, 
but  you  will  find  it  more  beneficial  at  first 
to  go  out  for  this  special  purpose  and  stand 
quietly  while  taking  the  exercise. 

It  has  already  been  stated  that  the  mind, 
properly  directed,  will  produce  wonderful 
results.  This  is  one  of  the  exercises  in 
which  it  should  have  full  opportunity  to  do 
its  work.  As  you  breathe  keep  to  the  pur- 
pose, mentally  saying,  "I  am  thoroughly 


My  Lady  Beautiful          1 1  3 

cleansing  all  the  air  passages  and  the  lungs. 
By  this  bath — this  cleansing  process — my 
lungs  expand  and  become  stronger ;  the  cir- 
culation throughout  the  body  becomes 
quickened  and  new  life  springs  into  action." 

PACKING  THE  LUNGS. 

It  is  necessary  for  the  proper  development 
of  the  lungs  and  chest  expansion  to  breathe 
frequently  from  the  diaphragm  to  the  upper 
portion  of  the  lungs.  As  you  inhale  slowly 
and  easily,  the  abdomen  contracts  while  the 
chest  expands.  When  exhaling,  the  abdo- 
men expands  while  the  chest  contracts. 

Practice  this  exercise  several  times  daily 
while  out  of  doors  or  in  your  room  before 
the  open  window,  repeating  the  exercise  at 
first  three  times,  gradually  increasing  to  six. 
Continue  this  for  a  week,  at  the  end  of  which 
period  you  will  have  strengthened  the  lungs 
so  that  you  may  pack  them.  This  is  done  by 
inhaling  in  the  manner  just  described,  and 
while  still  holding  the  inhalation,  taking 


ii4          My  Lady  Beautiful 

three  shorter  inhalations,  in  turn  holding 
these  for  a  moment  before  slowly  exhaling. 
In  other  words,  you  take  one  inhalation  on 
top  of  another,  or  several  in  succession,  be- 
fore exhaling.  This  exercise  may  also  be 
practiced  while  walking,  holding  the  freshly 
inhaled  air  while  covering  a  distance  of  at 
least  three  yards. 

You  may  in  a  short  time,  by  means  of  this 
method,  arouse  every  portion  of  the  living 
tissue  of  the  lungs  to  healthful  activity. 

THE  UPPER  RIGHT  AND  LEFT  EXPANSION. 
Now,  I  want  you  to  direct  your  thought 
to  the  upper  part  of  the  right  lung.  Have 
you  ever  tried  to  train  any  particular  por- 
tions of  the  lungs  by  inhaling  to  any  particu- 
lar part  or  parts?  Probably  not,  but  I  am 
sure  you  will  be  glad  to  do  so,  if  there  is  need 
of  it.  At  times  there  may  be  a  little  pain 
somewhere  in  the  chest  which  you  desire  to 
relieve  and  this  exercise  is  most  helpful  in 
such  instances. 


My  Lady  Beautiful          115 

Place  your  right  hand  over  the  upper  part 
of  the  right  lung  (this  assists  in  fixing  the 
attention  to  this  portion,  thereby  increasing 
the  circulation  to  this  point)  and  with  a 
slow,  deep  inhalation  expand  the  chest  im- 
mediately under  the  hand.  Repeat  three 
times. 

Exercise  in  the  same  way  the  upper  left 
lung,  placing  over  it  the  left  hand. 

Do  you  know  why  you  are  doing  this? 
It  is  to  cleanse,  nourish  and  strengthen  the 
lungs  and  to  invigorate  every  part  of  the 
body;  again  you  must  put  the  menti-sug- 
gestion  to  work,  telling  yourself  all  about 
it,  and  that  deeper  self,  that  something 
ivithin,  will  feel  encouraged  and  send  the 
news  to  every  part  of  your  being  that  you 
are  growing  healthier,  stronger  and  better 
every  day. 

Each  time  you  stand  before  the  mirror 
you  will  see  brighter  eyes,  better  complexion 
and  more  rounded  cheeks. 

There  is  no  greater  joy  than  the  attain- 


1 1 6         My  Lady   Beautiful 

ment  of  mental  and  physical  health,  for  to 
these  is  added  the  uplifting  of  the  moral  and 
spiritual  elements. 


BRACE  UP,  SIT  UP,  STAND  UP! 

Now  that  you  realize  the  importance  of 
correct  breathing  this  is  a  good  time  to  speak 
of  your  position  while  standing  or  sitting, 
for  you  cannot  breathe  well  if  you  allow 
yourself  to  drop  down  all  in  a  heap,  and 
then,  too,  the  internal  organs  are  pressed  out 
of  place,  depriving  them  of  the  power  to 
properly  perform  their  functions.  Nothing 
will  age  you  more  rapidly  than  this.  If  your 
spinal  column  and  the  muscles  about  your 
waist  are  not  sufficiently  strong  to  support 
the  body,  then  there  is  something  radically 
wrong.  I  should  not  be  at  all  surprised  if 
you  had  worn  a  horrible  corset  and  had  it 
much  too  tight,  in  the  bargain,  thereby  de- 
creasing the  circulation  and  free  play  of  the 
muscles  to  such  an  extent  that  they  have  be- 


My  Lady  Beautiful          1 1 7 

come  paralyzed,  as  it  were,  and  almost  use- 
less, just  as  your  arm  or  leg  would  become 
if  you  had  it  encased  in  a  cast  for  some  time. 
After  the  corset  is  worn  for  a  considerable 
time,  and  especially  when  too  tight,  and  is 
then  taken  off,  you  complain  of  backache  and 
say,  "Oh,  I  can't  get  along  without  it  because 
my  back  is  so  weak."  When  you  feel  this 
weakness  and  pain  it  is  only  dear  old  nature 
trying  to  readjust  your  interference  with  the 
Creator's  work,  and  if  you  will  but  give  her 
an  opportunity  and  help  her  along  a  bit  by 
special  exercises,  you  will  soon  find  yourself 
very  much  better. 

Perhaps  you  are  "fat ;"  but  the  corset  does 
not  remove  flesh.  It  simply  pushes  it  down 
and  up  and  horribly  disfigures  you,  while,  if 
you  will  follow  earnestly  the  instructions 
given  in  this  little  book  your  form  will 
attain  its  natural  proportions  and  you  will 
have  no  further  need  of  that  fearful  instru- 
ment of  torture,  that  health-killing  device, 
that  piece  of  wearing  apparel  which  is  ac- 


n8          My  Lady  Beautiful 

countable  for  the  ill  health  and  deformity  of 
so  many  innocent  children.  So  "brace  up," 
"sit  up,"  "stand  up"  and  be  every  inch  a 
woman.  When  walking,  assume  the  position 
as  described  for  the  first  breathing  exercise 
and  quit  making  a  bow  of  yourself. 

PHYSICAL  EXERCISES. 

I  wish  to  impress  upon  you  the  fact 
that  you  cannot  build  too  broadly  your 
foundation  for  uniform  development,  which 
means  the  cultivation  of  all  that  is  highest 
mentally,  morally,  physically  and  spiritually, 
and  for  this  reason  I  have  placed  MIND  first, 
as  the  leader,  then  the  strengthening  and 
building  up  of  all  the  vital  organs,  in  this 
developing  process. 

You  cannot  be  very  optimistic  with  com- 
pressed lungs,  a  sluggish  liver,  disordered 
stomach  and  clogged  bowels. 

The  system  at  large  being  dependent  upon 
the  vital  organs,  the  occasion  for  keeping 
them  in  normal  condition  is  doubly  import- 


'iiiiintF-TTTM-    J 


EARNHARDT    EXERCISE    Ax 


BERNHARDT    EXERCISE    A2 


BERNHARDT  EXERCISE  A3 


My  Lady  Beautiful          125 

ant  and  so  it  is  that,  in  connection  with  the 
applied  thought  special  exercises  are  given 
for  the  strengthening  of  these  functions. 

In  many  instances  where  pressures  and 
lesions  exist  it  is  well  to  consult  a  first-class 
osteopath.  Frequently,  however,  where 
there  is  pressure  upon  some  nerve  or 
nerves,  or  where  there  is  a  depression 
of  the  lower  ribs,  causing  congestion  or 
sluggishness  of  the  several  organs  con- 
trolling digestion,  assimilation  and  elimina- 
tion, these  conditions  may  be  entirely  re- 
lieved by  special  physical  exercises. 

Do  not  forget,  however,  when  perform- 
ing these  exercises,  that  the  mind  should 
work  in  harmony  with  the  movements;  that 
is,  the  thought  should  accompany  the  exer- 
cise and  its  purpose. 

In  performing  any  exercise,  remember 
that  desire,  attention  to  the  part  to  be 
benefited  and  the  expectation  to  attain  the 
best  results  should  not  be  lost  sight  of  for  a 
moment. 


126         My   Lady  Beautiful 

I  shall  tell  you  the  purpose  of  each  exer- 
cise and  you  must  supply  the  menti-sugges- 
tion. 

THE   SARA   BERNHARDT   EXERCISES. 

Now,  let  us  proceed.  If  you  haven't  a 
dainty  bamboo  cane  or  wand,  such  as  the 
graceful  Bernhardt  uses,  you  may  provide 
yourself  with  a  broomstick.  Stand  correctly, 
hold  the  wand  in  a  horizontal  position,  clasp- 
ing it  at  the  ends  with  the  palms  downward 
as  far  from  the  body  as  your  arms  will  per- 
mit and  on  a  line  with  the  shoulders.  Then 
raise  it  above  the  head,  bringing  it  down- 
ward nearly  to  the  waist  line  and  as  close  to 
the  back  as  possible.  Repeat  six  times,  in- 
haling with  the  back  ward -movement,  exhal- 
ing as  you  bring  the  arms  forward  to  their 
first  position.  This  is 'for  chest  expansion, 
as  you  doubtless  have  conjectured;  also  for 
relaxation  of  the  muscles  of  the  shoulders 
and  back  and  for  development  of  the  upper 
part  of  the  arms. 


EARNHARDT    EXERCISE    B 


EARNHARDT    EXERCISE    Ci 


My  Lady  Beautiful          131 

Next,  hold  the  wand  to  the  front  and  close 
to  the  body,  in  an  oblique  position,  palms 
outward,  the  higher  end  of  the  cane  with 
the  right  and  the  lower  with  the  left  hand. 
Keeping  the  body  firm,  swing  the  wand  up- 
ward to  the  right  as  high  as  possible;  then 
to  the  left,  repeating  six  times.  While  doing 
this  you  will  keep  in  mind  its  purposes, 
which  are  three- fold  :  first,  and  most  import- 
ant, the  lifting  of  the  lower  ribs  from  the 
liver  and  spleen — where  your  corset  has 
probably  got  in  some  deadly  work — reliev- 
ing any  possible  pressure  which  interferes 
with  the  normal  duties  of  these  organs; 
second,  further  relaxation  of  the  muscles  of 
the  back  and  shoulders,  and  third,  the  nor- 
mal development  of  the  bust. 

Again,  use  the  wand  in  the  same  manner, 
though  at  the  back  instead  of  the  front. 
This  exercise  is  a  most  remarkable  chest  de- 
veloper and  shoulder  flattener,  as  well  as  a 
genuine  tonic  for  the  upper  part  of  the  body. 

Now,   I'm  sure  you  are  feeling  at  least 


132         My  Lady  Beautiful 

fifty  per  cent,  better,  but  I  don't  want  you  to 
stop  yet.  The  abdominal  region  and  the  legs 
are  in  need  of  exercise  and,  besides,  you 
want  to  equalize  the  circulation. 

YOU  wiu,  FEEL  LIKE  A  GIRL  AGAIN. 
This  next  exercise  is  simply  delightful. 
It  makes  you  feel  like  a  girl  again,  and  you 
are  tempted  to  run  out  somewhere  and  skip 
the  rope  with  some  of  the  youngsters  in 
the  neighborhood.  It  wouldn't  be  half  bad, 
either,  if  you  should  romp  with  them  occa- 
sionally. The  only  way  to  keep  young  is  to 
think  and  act  young. 

LANGTRY'S  RECIPE  FOR  REMAINING  YOUNG. 
Lillie  lyangtry,  in  an  interview  for  the 
'World/'  is  quoted  as  saying:  "The  pro- 
foundest  secret  for  keeping  young  is  that  I 
have  learned  to  keep  my  thoughts  young." 
So,  with  each  exercise,  with  each  walk,  each 
inhalation,  at  night  when  retiring,  when  you 
awaken  in  the  morning,  while  eating,  and  at 
all  times,  keep  your  "thoughts  young." 


BERNHARDT    EXERCISE 


BERNHARDT .  EXERCISE    C3 


My  Lady  Beautiful          137 

Well,  take  up  your  little  stick  again,  hold 
it  horizontally  across  the  front,  palms  in, 
letting  the  arms  fall  full  length  at  the  sides. 
Now  step  over  this  with  the  right  foot, 
keeping  the  body  erect  and  raising  the  knee 
as  high  and  as  close  to  the  body  as  possi- 
ble, letting  only  the  toes  touch  the  floor  as 
the  foot  is  lowered.  Repeat  six  times  with 
the  right,  then  with  the  left. 

Perhaps  this  is  just  a  trifle  difficult  for  you 
this  time,  but  keep  trying  and  you'll  soon 
have  no  trouble,  as  each  day  the  limbs  will 
acquire  more  flexibility. 

I  suppose  you'll  wonder  what  this  is  for, 
apart  from  producing  flexibility.  Well, 
several  very  important  things.  If  you  are 
troubled  with  indigestion  it  causes  an  in- 
creased activity  of  the  assimilating  organs; 
it  quickens  the  bowel  action ;  produces  more 
shapely  hips,  develops  the  legs,  reduces  the 
ankles. 

You  really  could  get  along  very  nicely 
with  only  this  set  of  exercises,  but  perhaps 


138          My   Lady   Beautiful 

you  may  feel  sometimes  like  doing  some- 
thing of  a  more  strenuous  character,  and  for 
this  reason  I  give  others,  allowing  you  to 
choose  such  as  are  required  for  your  par- 
ticular needs ;  for  they  bring  into  play  every 
muscle  of  the  body. 

EXERCISES  FOR  CONSTIPATION. 

RELAXING    THE    ABDOMINAL    MUSCLES. 

Take  correct  position,  inhale  deeply  and 
slowly  and  while  holding  the  breath  con- 
tract and  expand  the  abdomen  three  times, 
increasing  to  six.  This  produces  activity 
of  the  bowels  and  at  the  same  time 
strengthens  the  lungs. 

WAIST-LINE     GYMNASTICS. 

These  are  excellent  exercises  for  relieving 
constipation  and  will  at  the  same  time  reduce 
obesity,  though  they  may  be  used,  too,  with 
equal  advantage  for  the  normal  development 
of  the  waist  and  hips  by  those  who  are  not 
fleshy : 


WAIST-UNE 


WAIST-UNE  EXERCISE;  2 


WAIST-UNE  EXERCISE;  3 


K 


My  Lady  Beautiful         149 

Stand  firmly,  leaning  back  from  the  waist 
line  as  far  as  possible,  without  straining. 
Repeat  three  times. 

Raise -the  left  arm  perpendicularly  above 
the  head  and  lean  to  the  right  as  far  as 
possible  three  times.  Repeat  this  exercise 
with  the  right  arm,  while  leaning  to  the  left. 

Next,  bend  forward  from  the  waist  line, 
without  bending  the  knees,  and  endeavor  to 
touch  the  floor  with  the  tips  of  the  fingers. 

NOTE — In  case  of  female  trouble,  use  only 
the  forward  movement. 

CHAIR     EXERCISE. 

Sitting  on  a  chair,  lean  forward  and 
slightly  to  the  right  until  the  abdomen 
presses  the  thigh.  Repeat  six  times.  Then 
bend  in  the  same  manner  to  the  left.  This 
acts  directly  upon  the  eliminative  organs . 

HORIZONTAL  CHINNING. 
Lie   face   downward;   raise   the  body  "by 
placing  the  palms  of  the  hands  on  the  floor 


150         My  Lady   Beautiful 

about  on  a  line  with  the  shoulders,  then 
lower  until  the  chin  touches  the  floor.  Re- 
peat three  times,  increasing  to  nine  as  you 
gain  strength. 

LEG  GYMNASTICS. 

Stand  on  one  foot,  raising  the  other  and 
holding  it  as  far  to  the  front  as  possible  hori- 
zontally, without  bending  the  knee.  Now, 
let  yourself  down  as  far  as  possible,  as  if 
to  sit.  Repeat  three  times.  Alternate  with 
the  other  leg  and  proceed  in  like  manner. 
Continue  this  exercise  from  day  to  day,  try- 
ing to  seat  yourself  on  the  floor  and  arise 
without  assistance. 

THE  DOOR-WAY  EXERCISE. 

Stand  about  twelve  inches  from  the  thresh- 
old of  the  door  with  feet  firmly  on  the 
floor.  Place  the  hands  on  each  side  of  the 
door  frame  about  a  foot  above  the  head, 
leaning  forward  as  far  as  possible,  inhaling 
as  you  do  so,  while  mentally  counting  six; 


GYMNASTICS 


11F 


My  Lady   Beautiful          155 

then  push  yourself  back  with  your  hands, 
not  allowing  the  body  to  assist,  counting  six 
as  you  do  so,  and  exhaling.  Repeat  six 
times;  then  lower  the  hands  about  three 
inches  and  repeat.  Continue  in  this  manner 
until  the  hands  are  about  on  a  level  with 
the  waist  line. 

This  exercise  brings  into  action  nearly,  if 
not  all,  the  muscles  of  the  body,  particularly 
those  of  the  arms  and  chest.  It  is  an  es- 
pecially good  exercise  for  bust  development. 

-  LEG  AND  BACK  DEVELOPMENT. 
Bend  forward  until  you  can  reach  the 
floor  with  the  tips  of  the  fingers  of  the  left 
hand  while  extending  the  right  leg  on  a  hori- 
zontal line  with  the  back.  Repeat  from 
three  to  six  times.  Then  lean  forward, 
touching  the  floor  with  the  right  hand  and 
extend  the  left  leg,  repeating  also  from  three 
to  six  times. 


156          My  Lady   Beautiful 


SITTING  AND  RISING. 

While  this  is  an  excellent  exercise  for  re- 
ducing flesh,  it  is  effective  as  a  normal  de- 
veloper for  waist  and  hips  and  greatly 
strengthens  the  muscles  of  the  entire  leg. 

If  you  are  using  this  for  obesity,  concen- 
trate your  mind  upon  the  fact  that  you  are 
going  to  get  rid  of  your  superfluous  flesh. 

Stand  with  heels  together,  arms  at  sides. 
While  inhaling  slowly  and  deeply  let  your- 
self down  without  bending  forward,  until 
the  body  rests  on  the  heels.  Exhale  while 
rising.  Repeat  three  times,  increasing  to  six. 

THE  ELEVATOR. 

This  is  a  splendid  exercise  for  strengthen- 
ing the  back,  reducing  the  hips  and  abdomen, 
if  too  large,  or,  assisting  in  their  normal 
development,  if  too  small. 

Lie  flat  on  the  back ;  then  rise  to  a  sitting 
position,  keeping  the  heels  on  the  floor  all 


SITTING    AND    RISING 


My  Lady  Beautiful         161 

the  time.  It  may  be  necessary  to  use  the 
elbows  during  several  exercises  in  getting 
up,  but  as  you  gain  strength  rise  independ- 
ently of  any  assistance.  Repeat  three  times, 
increasing  to  six. 

THE  KNEE-BEND. 

This  is  an  excellent  exercise  for  both  back 
and  legs  and  for  decrease  of  obesity  about 
the  abdominal  region : 

While  standing  on  the  left  foot,  flex  the 
right  leg,  bringing  the  knee  as  close  to  the 
body  as  possible  by  drawing  it  up  with  the 
hands,  at  the  same  time  keeping  the  body 
erect.  Do  this  three  times,  increasing  to 
nine.  Repeat  with  the  left  leg.  Later,  do 
this  same  exercise  without  the  assistance 
of  the  hands. 

SHOULDER  MOVEMENTS. 
Take  position.      Place  the  hands  at  the 
back,    interlacing  the  fingers.      Throw   the 
shoulders  slightly  forward,  then  move  them 


1 62         My  Lady  Beautiful 

back  as  strongly  as  possible  so  that  the 
shoulder  blades  will  come  together.  This 
exercise  will  not  only  develop  the  chest,  but 
is  a  remedy  for  round  shoulders. 

THE  FINGER  GRIP. 

Stand  erect,  raise  the  arms  on  a  line  with 
the  shoulders,  hook  the  forefingers  together 
and  endeavor  to  pull  them  apart  as  you 
slowly  raise  the  arms  up  and  over  the  head, 
and  as  far  down  the  back  as  possible,  ex- 
panding below  the  waist  line  by  inhaling  as 
the  arms  ascend  and  exhaling  with  their 
descent.  Repeat  three  times  for  each  pair  of 
fingers. 

ARM  MUSCLE  DEVELOPMENT. 

Hold  the  arms  at  right  angles  and  lift, 
as  if  you  were  trying  to  pull  the  body  from 
the  waist  line  up.  Do  this  at  first  three 
times,  increasing  to  nine.  This  will  also 
lift  the  ribs  and  strengthen  the  thorax. 

Extend  the  arms  horizontally  with  the 
body,  so  that  the  elbows  may  be  on  a  line 


THE;  KNEE-BEND 


My  Lady  Beautiful          165 

with  the  shoulders  and  draw  the  closed 
hands,  with  all  the  resistance  you  can  bring 
to  bear,  back  to  and  on  a  line  with  the 
shoulders.  Repeat  three  times,  increasing  to 
six. 

Next,  clasp  the  hands  midway  of  the 
chest,  and  with  one  arm  higher  than  the 
other,  try  to  push  down  the  hand  underneath 
while  at  the  same  time  trying  to  push  the 
other  up.  Then  alternate.  Repeat  three 
times,  increasing  to  six. 

THE  STRETCHING  PROCESS:  INCREASING 
THE  HEIGHT. 

If  you  have  acquired  the  habit  of  letting 
yourself  fall  together,  both  while  sitting  and 
standing,  you  should  practice  this  exercise 
every  day  with  the  thought  that  you  are 
growing  straight  and  well  formed.  This 
will  stretch,  as  it  were,  and  make  elastic  the 
spinal  cord  and  the  various  muscles  of  the 
body,  will  add  to  your  height,  and  also 
strengthen  the  ankles : 


1 66          My  Lady   Beautiful 

Have  an  object  above  and  just  beyond 
your  reach.  Stand  with  heels  together, 
poising  on  balls  of  feet.  Inhale  slowly 
while  rising  on  the  toes  and  reach  as 
high  as  possible  with  the  right  arm  in  an 
endeavor  to  touch  the  object.  Then  exhale 
while  slowly  coming  back  to  former  position, 
letting  the  arm  descend  to  the  side.  Re- 
peat three  times.  Exercise  with  the  left  arm 
in  the  saine  manner.  Then  with  both  arms, 
increasing  the  latter  exercise  to  six  times. 

THE  RUBBER  BALL  FOR  SLUGGISH  LIVER. 

Suspend  a  ball  from  the  ceiling,  chandelier 
or  doorway,  and  holding  the  arms  at  right 
angles  with  the  body,  strike  it  first  with  one 
elbow  and  then  the  other. with  an  upward 
movement.  Continue  this  until  slightly 
fatigued. 

NOTE — This  exercise  should  be  indulged 
in  gently  at  first  if  you  are  suffering  from 
any  of  the  troubles  peculiar  to  women. 


My  Lady  Beautiful          16,7 


THE  BUST:     HOW  TO  DEVELOP  IT. 

Every  well  sexed  woman  desires  a  beauti- 
ful, well  rounded  bust,  and  I  am  sure  you  are 
not  an  exception,  so  I  am  giving  you  this 
little  special  exercise,  which,  I  am  certain 
you  will  find  exceedingly  helpful : 

As  the  emotions  affect  to  a  very  great 
extent  the  female  organs,  and  as  these  in 
turn  affect  the  bust,  it  is  essential,  as  you 
doubtless  already  understand,  to  refrain 
from  indulgence  in  anger,  grief,  worry,  jeal- 
ousy, etc.,  if  you  desire  the  best  results  from 
this  or  any  other  exercise.  Also,  the  atten- 
tion (concentration)  should  be  specially  di- 
rected to  the  object  in  view. 

Lie  down  with  the  head  slightly  lower 
than  the  body;  raise  the  arms  and  inhale 
deeply;  lower  the  arms  and  exhale  slowly, 
at  the  same  time  closing  the  hands  and 
bringing  them  to  the  point  immediately  in 
front  of  the  armpits.  Repeat  six  times. 


1 68         My  Lady   Beautiful 

While  yet  lying  in  this  position,  raise  the 
arms  to  the  highest  point,  then  move  them 
back  over  the  head,  keeping  the  elbows  as 
straight  as  possible,  clasp  the  hands,  inhal- 
ing while  doing  so  and  exhaling  as  they  are 
brought  back.  Repeat  six  times. 

Three  times  a  week,  before  retiring,  and 
after  bathing  the  bust  with  warm  water, 
apply  a  little  pure  olive  oil  or  cocoa  butter, 
rubbing  it  in  thoroughly,  manipulating 
toward  the  center  'of  the  chest  and  upward. 
In  the  morning  bathe  the  bust  with  water 
slightly  warm  and  rinse  with  a  dash  of  cold 
water,  after  which  rub  vigorously,  but  not 
harshly,  with  a  towel,  until  you  set  up  a 
glow. 

NECK  DEVELOPMENT. 

Without  moving  the  body,  turn  the  head 
to  the  right  as  far  as  possible,  then  to  the 
left,  nine  times.  This  tones  up  the  muscles, 
making  the  neck  firm  and  well  rounded. 
Now,  drop  the  head  backward  slowly  and 


My  Lady  Beautiful          169 

as  far  as  possible,  bringing  it  forward  again 
and  drawing  in  the  chin.    Repeat  nine  times. 

THE  BALL  EXERCISE  FOR  THE  FACE. 

If  you  want  to  give  more  firmness  to  the 
muscles  of  the  face,  get  an  ordinary  little, 
soft  rubber  ball  and  placing  it  in  the  hollow 
of  the  hand,  roll  it  gently  over  the  face 
upward  and  outward.  You  will  not  so  much 
feel  the  need  of  this,  however,  if  you  follow 
the  other  instructions,  as,  of  course,  you  will, 
for  by  so  doing  you  are  even  now  becoming 
healthy,  happy,  beautiful,  fascinating  and 
successful. 

DEVELOPING  EXERCISES  FOR  USE  IN  OF- 
FICE AND  HOUSE. 

Whatever  your  occupation,  you  may 
practice  daily  everything  given  herein.  If 
in  an  office  or  store,  you  can  at  all  times  use 
the  mental  suggestions,  and  surely  there  are 
many  times  during  the  day  when  you  may 
relax,  bringing  mind  and  body  into  a  com- 


170         My   Lady   Beautiful 

plete  state  of  composure  without  taking 
from  your  time;  and  how  much  easier  will 
it  make  the  most  arduous  task.  Even  though 
your  work  may  have  seemed  to  you  obnox- 
ious, it  is  not  so  now,  and  doing  it  to  the 
best  of  your  ability,  you  will  in  time  reach 
the  height  "to  which  you  at  present  aspire. 

Hurry,  w^orry  and  impatience  are  no 
longer  a  part  of  your  character.  Delibera- 
tion, calmness  and  patience  are  the  substi- 
tutes. 

When  you  are  attending  to  household 
duties  you  will  marvel  at  the  many  ways  in 
which  you  can  turn  them  into  physical  cul- 
ture exercises,  and  how  delightful  they  be- 
come as  through  them  you  attain  health, 
youth  and  beauty.  Sweeping  is  an  all-over 
exercise  (always  open  wide  the  windows 
while  sweeping)  ;  dusting  in  high  places  in- 
creases the  action  of  the  liver  by  lifting  the 
ribs,  while  dusting  in  low  places  strengthens 
the  lower  part  of  the  back  and  produces 
grace  of  movement. 


My  Lady  Beautiful          171 

But  I  want  you  to  study  these  out  for 
yourself.  With  each  task — no,  it  is  a  task 
no  longer,  but  a  pleasure — note  the  muscles 
brought  into  use  and  concentrate  the  mind 
upon  the  benefits  to  be  derived  by  its  per- 
formance. 

THE  POWER  OF  A  SWEETLY  MODULATED 
SPEAKING  VOICE:     HOW  TO  CUL- 
TIVATE IT. 

There  is  so  much  to  say  to  you  .that  is 
bright  and  helpful  that  I  feel  much  like  the 
little  brook  that  was  made  to  say  something 
about  going  on  forever;  but  I  will  tell  you 
just  a  wee  bit  more  and  then  I  must  stop  to 
give  you  an  opportunity  to  practice  all  that 
has  already  been  said. 

You  have  no  doubt  been  in  the  country 
on  a  delightful  summer  day,  swinging  in  a 
hammock  or  lying  at  full  length  on  the  long, 
cool  grass  in  the  woods,  your  eyes  half- 
closed,  listening  to  the  low  buzzing  of  the 
bees  and  other  insects ;  to  the  quiet  rippling 


172          My  Lady  Beautiful 

of  the  little  stream,  the  rustling  of  the  leaves, 
the  warbling  of  the  birds,  until  finally 
soothed  to  slumber. 

You  may  learn  a  lesson  from  nature's 
sweet  music,  so  grateful  to  the  fatigued  body 
and  wearied  brain,  and  you  may  ask  yourself 
if  the  human  voice  may  not  have  its  share 
in  making*  or  .marring  the  world's  happiness. 

Is  your  own  voice  tender,  gentle  and  low, 
and  is  it  always  well  modulated  while  con- 
versing? Does  it  fall  upon  the  ear  softly 
and  without  shock  or  jar? 

One  of  the  most  important  things  in  life 
is  a  pleasing  voice,  and  yet  how  slight  the 
attention  given  it.  In  men,  it  may  resolve  it- 
self into  a  power  over  both  the  individual 
and  the  multitude. 

Have  you  not  heard  the  low,  resonant, 
coaxing  and  caressing  tones  of  some  par- 
ticular man  ?  Used  in  oratory,  how  the 
crowd  hangs  eagerly,  wonderingly,  breath- 
lessly on  every  word;  how  it  sobs  as  the 
pathos  penetrates  the  remotest  corner  of  the 


My  Lady  Beautiful         173 

vast  hall ;  how  it  laughs  as  mirth  rings  out.; 
and  how  it  rises  as  if  one  body,  one  mind, 
in  protest  when  indignation  makes  itself  felt 
in  the  voice. 

And  with  yourself,  have  a  care  if  you 
would  not  allow  this  voice  to  conquer  you. 
Tender,  thrilling,  caressing,  it  sometimes 
asks  of  you  far  more  than  the  spoken  words 
themselves.  It  is  at  times  almost  irresistible. 
Wise  is  he  who  knows  how  to  use  his  voice 
well  and  to  the  benefit  of  others. 

But  it  is  of  woman's  voice — your  very 
own — that  I  now  concern  myself.  Sweet, 
tender,  full  and  soothing,  it  will  enhance 
your  charms  and  power  of  fascination  a 
hundred-fold. 

There  are  women,  beautiful  of  feature 
and  form,  graceful  of  carriage,  who  yet 
have  few  or  no  admirers,  because,  when  they 
speak,  the  charm  is  dispelled  by  a  harsh, 
disagreeable  voice.  On  the  other  hand,  a 
commonplace  little  woman,  to  all  appear- 
ances, may  possess  powers  of  fascination 


174         My  Lady   Beautiful 

almost  unlimited  because  of  the  low,  sweet 
melody  that  pours  from  her  lips,  soothing 
to  the  wearied  one,  a  tonic  to  the  ill  and 
sorrowing,  sweetest  music  to  husband  and 
children  and  an  uplifting  power  to  all  who 
come  within  its  sound. 

It  has  been  said  that  the  voice  is  indic- 
ative of  character.  We  certainly  hear  the 
querulous  tone  of  the  invalid,  the  fretting, 
complaining  and  nagging  voice  where  one  is 
lacking  in  self-control;  coarseness  usually 
betrays  itself  in  the  harsh,  shrill  voice;  the 
mother-tone  expresses  itself  in  low,  tender, 
caressing  sounds;  the  voice  of  the  loving 
wife  or  sweetheart  in  a  cadence  thrilling, 
vibrant  and  far-reaching. 

The  harsh,  shrill  voice  never  carries  with 
it  the  power  to  control  others ;  while,  on  the 
other  hand,  the  low,  melodious,  far-carry- 
ing voice  holds  under  its  sway  all  who  come 
within  its  sound.  The  abnormal  voice  be- 
longs to  the  abnormal  mind  and  body;  the 


My   Lady  Beautiful          175 

rich,  but  low  and  vibrant  tones  bespeak  influ- 
ence, power,  health  and  self-poise. 

By  the  way,  self-poise  means  to  walk, 
stand  and  sit  gracefully,  unconscious  of  your 
surroundings,  and  of  the  fact  that  others 
may  be  silently  studying  you. 

One  of  weak  character  or  weak  body  can- 
not be  well  poised  nor  the  possessor  of  a 
normal  and  pure  quality  of  voice;  neither 
can  one  be  beautiful,  however  regular  the 
features,  who  is  wanting  in  mental,  moral, 
physical  and  spiritual,  or  uniform  develop- 
ment, so  I  am  confident  you  are  anxious  to 
carry  out  in  every  detail  all  that  I  have 
planned  for  you,  the  culture  of  the  voice, 
as  already  stated,  being  none  the  less  import- 
ant as  an  element  of  beauty  and  charm  than 
the  other  points  already  mentioned. 

Of  course,  with  the  improvement  of  the 
health,  your  voice  is  already  much  better  than 
it  was  when  you  began  to  think  the  new, 
health-giving  thoughts  and  to  live  the  new 


176         My  Lady   Beautiful 

life,  for  by  so  doing  you  have  strengthened 
the  body,  thus  giving  new  quality  and  tone 
to  the  vocal  organs. 

Just  as  special  exercises  and  practice  will 
enhance  the  beauty  of  the  singing  voice,  so 
will  they  add  to  the  purity  of  the  speaking 
voice,  and  with  the  assurance  that  you  are 
desirous  of  obtaining  and  putting  into  prac- 
tice all  practical  information  possible  on 
this  subject,  I  shall  now  proceed  to  tell  you 
how  to  acquire  all  that  which  I  have  already 
claimed  for  it  and  will  ask  you  while  striv- 
ing for  this  charm  to  keep  in  mind  the  fact 
that  one  of  the  strongest  indications  of  re- 
finement is  a  sweet,  womanly  voice. 

As  in  the  attainment  of  the  restoration  of 
health,  deep  breathing  is  one  of  the  first 
essentials,  but  this  you  have  been  practicing 
daily  with  results  far  beyond  your  expecta- 
tions. 

Many  voices  are  pitched  too  high,  while 
fewer  are  too  low,  the  former  being  harsh 
and  extremely  disagreeable  to  the  listener, 


My  Lady  Beautiful          177 

the  latter  being  difficult  to  distinctly  hear. 
Again,  some  are  loud,  without  volume,  and 
others  are  thin,  rasping,  high  or  nasal  to  a 
painful  degree. 

Now,  the  important  thing  is  to  place  the 
voice  correctly.  If  it  is  too  high,  too  thin, 
practice  to  get  it  where  a  greater  degree  of 
roundness  and  fullness  may  be  developed. 
It  is  seldom  that  the  voice  is  placed  too  low,, 
though  one  may  fail  to  throw  it  out  suffi- 
ciently to  render  it  audible  for  any  practical 
distance;  so  I  shall  tell  you  only  in  a 
general  way  that  it  should  not  be  thrown 
back  against  the  palate  and  up  against  the 
roof  of  the  mouth,  but  rather  midway  be- 
tween the  two.  If  your  voice  is  not  suf- 
ficiently far-reaching,  practice  throwing  it 
forward  by  taking,  to  begin  with,  the  posi- 
tion as  given  for  deep  breathing.  Now  in- 
hale easily  and  deeply  once,  then  exhale, 
while  the  mouth  is  open  to  its  utmost  capa- 
city, giving  the  broad  sound  of  "ah."  Re- 
peat six  times.  Next,  close  the  mouth  one- 


178         My   Lady  Beautiful 

fourth,  repeating  the  sound  as  before.  Then 
close  one-half,  repeating  the  same  exercise, 
though  you  will  note  that,  as  the  mouth  is 
more  nearly  closed  the  pronunciation  of  the 
vowel  sound  grows  broader,  and  as  it,  the 
mouth,  finally  forms  an  oval,  you  may  prac- 
tice on  the  long  sound  of  O. 

I  might  go  into  more  elaborate  details, 
but  I  am  sure  you  will  soon  catch  the  idea 
and  the  simpler  the  instructions  the  less  com- 
plicated the  execution  and  the  speedier  the 
results. 

After  several  days'  practice  of  this  exer- 
cise in  your  room,  you  may  take  it  up  at 
any  time  that  you  find  yourself  alone.  Soon 
you  will  notice  a  wonderful  development 
in  the  purity  and  volume  of  your  voice. . 

Suppose,  however,  you  have  been  talking 
in  a  tone  entirely  too  loud  and  shrill  or 
otherwise  unmusical.  One  good  way  to 
modify  it  is  to  observe  and  try  to  imitate 
to  a  certain  extent  the  well  modulated  voice 
of  your  friend,  Mrs.  Van  Scott.  While  she 


My  Lady  Beautiful         179 

is  vivacious,  sparkling  and  witty,  she  never 
is  guilty  of  pitching  her  voice  above  the 
ordinary  conversational  key,  though  she  may 
be  heard  distinctly  by  anyone  across  the 
room  to  whom  she  may  be  directing  her 
remarks,  and  herein  lies  one  of  her  greatest 
charms,  though  among  her  other  good  points 
are  health,  the  desire  to  please,  the  tact  never 
to  offend  and  her  sweet  wholesomeness  in 
general. 

PEARLS  AND  DIAMONDS  OF  SPEECH. 

In  addition  to  the  regular  morning  physi- 
cal exercise  and  the  little  vocal  exercise  just 
given,  whisper  the  word,  "hush"  again  and 
again  slowly  and  distinctly.  Then  repeat 
several  times  in  the  same  manner  these  sen- 
tences: "Softly,  softly  whisper  the  words 
of  love.  Silence  is  over  all.  The  night  is 
hushed  and  still."  Again  repeat  the  same 
in  a  low  and  quiet  undertone.  Now  repeat 
several  times  in  the  purest,  tenderest  voice 
that  you  can  command,  "I  shall  speak  softly 


180         My  Lady   Beautiful 

and  sweetly  today  beautiful  words  of  love. 
Pearls  and  diamonds  of  speech  only  shall 
issue  from  my  lips.  Sweet,  pure  tones  shall 
make  me  better  and  they  shall  be  as  music 
to  my  friends  and  loved  ones."  . 

THE  TOILET. 

While  the  purpose  of  presenting  this  book 
is  to  guide  you  in  the  care  of  the  physical 
organism,  to  teach  you  that  only  with  in- 
ternal health  and  cleanliness  can  there  be 
beauty  and  wholesomeness,  to  direct  your 
thoughts  to  things  of  a  bright  and  uplifting 
character,  yet  I  would  not  have  you  over- 
look the  little,  harmless  external  aids  to  fur- 
ther enhance  your  charms. 

Some  one  once  said,  certainly  without  giv- 
ing the  subject  much  thought,  that  "Beauty 
is  only  skin  deep."  The  author  of  this  much 
quoted  sentence  undoubtedly  viewed  the 
matter  largely  from  an  artificial  standpoint. 
To  be  sure,  so-called  beauty,  produced  by 
lotions  of  various  kinds,  is  only  "skin  deep," 


My  Lady  Beautiful         181 

but  that  is  not  real  beauty.  Beauty,  as  has 
already  been  stated,  is  from  within,  out.  It 
proceeds  from  the  mind,  the  stomach,  the 
bowels,  the  generative  organs  and  the  nor- 
mal circulation  of  the  blood;  but,  as  the 
painter  perfects  his  masterpiece  by  an  added 
touch  here  and  another  there,  so  may  you, 
though  beautiful  with  the  glow  of  health, 
add  to  this  sweet,  womanly  beauty  by  giving 
careful  attention  to  the  details  of  dress,  the 
care  of  the  hair,  skin,  teeth  and  nails,  and 
though  your  features  may  be  irregular  and 
your  form  not  the  best,  yet,  if  you  are 
healthy,  cheerful,  self-poised,  unselfish  and 
mindful  of  the  things  just  mentioned,  you 
will  be  counted  charming. 

HOW  TO   DRESS   COMFORTABLY  AND  BE- 
COMINGLY. 

To  be  self -poised  and  at  perfect  ease,  you 
should,  first  of  all,  be  comfortably  clothed. 
Underwear  of  loose  texture  and  not  too 
heavy,  should  be  worn  through  the  winter. 


1 82          My  Lady   Beautiful 

Heavy,  stiff,  closely  woven  woolen  garments 
do  not  keep  the  body  as  warm  as  those 
of  lighter  weight  and  of  loose  weave  be- 
cause of  the  fact  that  the  former  admit  of 
very  little  ventilation,  without  which  the 
pores  of  the  body  become  clogged,  the  skin 
becomes  unhealthy  and  the  circulation  of  the 
blood  sluggish. 

Tight  clothing  should  never  be  worn  for 
the  same  reason ;  also  on  account  of  undue 
pressure  upon  the  nerves,  muscles  and  inter- 
nal organs.  The  footwear  in  particular 
should  be  as  comfortable  as  may  be  pro- 
cured. Painful  feet,  cheerfulness  and  quick 
wit  seldom  go  together. 

The  apparel  should  always  be  clean,  espec- 
ially that  worn  next  to  the  body. 

As  to  the  outer  garment — the  gown — it 
should  be  of  good  material  and  as  to  cut  and 
color,  in  harmony  with  your  figure  and  com- 
plexion. You  are  best  gowned  when  there 
is  an  individuality  about  your  dress — when 
it  seems  a  part  ofvyou. 


My  Lady  Beautiful          183 

If  you  are  below  medium  stature,  do  not 
think  of  copying  Mrs.  Andrews'  gown,  as 
she,  you  know,  is  tall  and  slender,  and  what 
is  becoming  to  her  will  make  you  look  even 
shorter  than  you  are.  Suppose,  too,  you  are 
dark.  Do  not  for  a  moment  imagine  you 
can  wear  that  olive  green  which  is  so  be- 
coming to  the  pink  and  white  complexion  of 
Miss  Fair.  Have  a  care,  too,  in  the  combi- 
nation of  colors  worn.  You  don't  wish  to 
look  like  a  variegated  flower  garden,  I'm 
sure.  Plain  colors  are  always  in  better  taste 
and  bespeak  refinement. 

The  safest  method  is  to  study  your  face, 
hair,  eyes,  complexion  and  form,  and,  find- 
ing something  that  will  harmonize  with 
them,  adopt  this  particular  color  and  style 
as  your  own. 

MAN'S  FAVORITE  COLOR. 
Almost  every  woman  may  find  some  shade 
of  blue  which  is  becoming  to  her  and  there 
is  something  peculiarly  brightening  in  its 


184         My  Lady  Beautiful 

effect  upon  even  the  dullest  face.  You  will 
find  that  you  look  younger  in  this  color 
(providing  you  are  careful  in  the  selection 
of  the  shade)  than  perhaps  any  other.  It 
has  been  said,  too,  that  men — some  of  them 
consciously  and  others  unconsciously — have 
a  strong  preference  for  blue  and  that  it  has 
a  peculiar  fascination  for  them.  Be  that  as 
it  may,  you  can  make  no  mistake  in  wearing 
it.  Most  women  look  well  in  white  or 
cream,  while  only  the  best  complexion  can 
wear  black,  as  it  exaggerates  all  defects  of 
the  skin. 

Many  persons  do  not  seem  to  realize  that 
personal  appearance  counts  for  anything,  but 
the  modestly  dressed  man  or  woman,  par- 
ticular as  to  personal  details  of  neatness  and 
cleanliness,  stands  a  better  chance  to  obtain  a 
personal  interview  with  the  business  or 
professional  man  and  in  the  end  generally 
accomplishes  his  or  her  object.  So,  above 
all  things,  if  you  are  going  to  make  a  busi- 
ness or  social  call  and  desire  especially  to 


My  Lady  Beautiful          185 

make  a  good  impression,  do  not  neglect  the 
slightest  detail  that  will  improve  your  per- 
sonal appearance.  If  you  are  a  business 
woman,  or  if  you  are  a  woman  seeking  a 
position  in  a  business  house  or  office  and 
it  is  necessary  to  make  a  personal  applica- 
tion, do  not  dress  as  if  you  were  going  to  a 
party.  Nothing  so  disgusts  a  business  man 
as  a  gorgeous  display  of  ruffles,  flowers  and 
jewelry  and  a  mass  of  "frizzy"  hair  upon 
such  an  occasion.  Cleanliness,  neatness, 
simplicity  and  quiet  manners  are  always 
passports  to  any  legitimate  business  house 
or  office. 

Remember,  too,  that  however  well  you 
may  be  dressed  otherwise,  shabby  shoes  and 
gloves  will  mar  the  effect  and  detract  from 
the  charm. 

It  costs  little  to  be  neat,  clean  and  sweet. 
It  may  cost  much  to  be  the  opposite.  For 
your  own  self-respect,  your  own  comfort, 
allow  no  fleck  nor  flaw  to  detract  from  the 
dignity  and  fascination  of  your  womanhood. 


1 86         My  Lady  Beautiful 


THE  TEETH. 

Certainly  elaborate  instructions  need  not 
be  given  for  the  care  of  the  teeth  as  it  is  a 
very  simple  matter  to  keep  them  clean. 
However,  a  few  reminders  may  not  be  out 
of  place. 

A  visit  to  the  dentist  should  be  made  at  at 
least  once  in  six  months  in  order  that  all 
stains,  tartar,  calci  and  other  foreign  sub- 
stances may  be  removed  and  that  any  cavities 
may  be  filled  before  the  process  of  decay  has 
attained  great  proportions. 

Clean,  white  and  even  teeth  are  very  at- 
tractive and  to  neglect  them  means  to  invite 
that  which  will  most  surely  detract  from 
your  charms. 

These  pearls  should  be  cleansed  after 
each  meal  with  a  firm  but  soft  brush,  warm 
water  and  a  good  tooth  powder,  rubbing  up 
and  down,  inside  and  out,  after  which  with 
a  small  rubber  band  or  heavy  silk  thread 


My  Lady  Beautiful  187 

drawn  between  them,  every  particle  of  food 
should  be  removed. 

Never  use  charcoal  for  cleansing  purposes 
as  this  finds  its  way  under  the  gums,  de- 
stroying their  rosy  color  and  at  the  same 
time  having  an  injurious  effect. 

To  cleanse  and  sweeten  the  mouth  rinse 
now  and  then  with  warm  water  to  which 
has  been  added  a  drop  of  camphor. 

CARE  OF  THE  HANDS  AND  NAILS. 
Do  not  lose  any  sleep  over  it  if  your  hands 
are  not  quite  as  soft  and  white  as  those  of 
Mrs.  Proudfair.  Perhaps  her  dainty  palms 
have  never  clasped  a  broom-handle  nor  so 
much  as  flirted  with  a  dust-cloth;  and  maybe, 
too,  those  hands  are  like  many  faces,-  which 
are  made  up  of  regular  features  but  possess 
no  strength  of  character.  Have  you  ever 
thought  of  it  ?  The  hands  are  a  great  index 
to  the  character,  and  to  have  them  good, 
strong,  clean  and  helpful  is  more  to  be  de- 
sired than  the  softest  and  whitest  that  have 


1 88         My  Lady  Beautiful 

done  no  service  for  self  nor  mankind. 
Nevertheless,  it  is  your  prerogative  and 
duty,  I  might  say,  to  give  to  your  hands  the 
same  careful  attention  that  you  do  to  your 
hair,  face  and  teeth. 

Well-cared-for  hands  and  ringer  nails  are 
one  of  the  signs  of  refinement. 

The  same  judgment  should  be  exercised 
in  procuring  good  soap  for  the  hands  as  for 
the  face  and  they  should  never  be  allowed 
to  remain  soiled  over  night.  After  washing 
and  drying  them  thoroughly  at  night,  olive 
oilj  cold  cream,  or  a  preparation  composed 
of  glycerine,  boric  acid,  and  rose-water  may 
be  applied  and  rubbed  in  thoroughly.  Glycer- 
ine is  irritating  to  some  skins.  When  such 
is  the  case  it  should  be  well  diluted  or,  in- 
deed, it  need  not  be  used  at  all  if  not  desir- 
able. However,  the  compound  just  men- 
tioned is  in  most  instances  quite  soothing 
and  any  druggist  will  put  it  up  for  you. 

The  nails  should  be  kept  in  the  best  con- 
dition possible.  When  eating  good,  nourish- 


My  Lady  Beautiful         189 

ing  food,  when  the  blood  is  circulating  prop- 
erly and  when  worry  and  nervousness  have 
ceased  to  master  you,  a  remarkable  improve- 
ment of  the  nails  and  the  flesh  and  cuticle 
surrounding  them  will  be  noticeable,  the  rea- 
sons for  which  I  cannot  here  go  into  detail ; 
if  you  desire  beautiful  nails  see  to  it  first  of 
all  that  your  body  is  well  nourished  and  that 
your  mind  is  wholly  free  from  anxiety. 

In  the  local  treatment  for  the  nails,  use  a 
little  lemon  juice  once  or  twice  a  week. 
This  is  also  excellent  for  removing  stains 
from  the  hands.  After  the  application  of 
the  juice  to  the  nails,  use  a  little  olive  oil, 
rubbing  it  over  each  nail  and  well  down  on 
the  cuticle.  This  may  and  sV'onld  precede 
the  manicuring  before  which,  also,  the  hands 
should  be  held  for  a  moment  in  soft  warm 
water  in  which  a  little  vegetable  soap  has 
been  dissolved. 

Use  an  orangewood  stick  for  removing 
the  dirt  from  under  the  nails,  as  a  knife 
or  other  sharp  metal  instrument  scratches 


190         My  Lady  Beautiful 

them,  producing  a  lodging  place  for  foreign 
accumulations. 

If,  for  any  reason,  you  prefer  to  do  your 
own  manicuring,  and  do  not  understand  the 
method,  the  best  and  quickest  way  of  learn-- 
ing  the  process  is  to  go  to  a  good  manicure 
two  or  three  times  and  watch  closely  the 
manner  of  procedure,  which  you  may,  by  a 
little  practice  successfully  imitate. 

THE  HAIR. 

The  care  of  the  hair  is  a  most  important 
matter  and  you  doubtless  know  that  your 
"crown  of  glory"  should  .be  kept  scrupu- 
lously clean.  Dusty  and  extremely  oily  hair 
will  cause  many  to  turn  away  in  disgust  from 
an  otherwise  attractive  woman.  However 
well  you  may  be  gowned,  if  "your  hair  is 
soiled  and  carelessly  dressed,  you  cannot  pre- 
sent a  neat  appearance. 

If  you  live  in  the  city  and  ride  daily  on 
the  train  or  cars  you  should  carefully  brush 
your  tresses  every  nigtit  before  retiring.  At 


CROWN    OF    GLORY 


My  Lady  Beautiful          193 

least  once  a  month  the  hair  should  have  a 
thorough  shampoo  and  no  better  cleanser 
can  be  found  than  an  egg — white  and  yolk 
beaten  together — applied  to '  the  scalp  by 
means  of  the  tips  of  the  fingers  or  a  fairly 
stiff,  clean  brush.  Before  making  the  appli- 
cation the  hair  should  be  taken  down, 
combed  and  parted  from  the  front  to  the 
back  of  the  neck  and  braided  in  two  parts 
to  prevent  undue  tangling. 

After  scrubbing  thoroughly,  though  not 
harshly,  using  water  slightly  warmed  (soft 
water  if  procurable),  rinse  several  times  in 
water  of  the  same  temperature  until  every 
trace  of  the  egg  is  removed.  Wipe  with  a 
towel,  taking  only  a  portion  of  the  hair  at 
a  time,  pressing  and  rubbing  until  dry.  If 
convenient,  you  should  sit  in  the  sunshine, 
allowing  the  hair  to  hang  until  all  trace  of 
dampness  is  gone.  Never  dress  it  until 
thoroughly  dry. 

If  the  hair  is  thin  and  falling  out,  about 
three  times  a  week  with  your  hands  on  each 


M 


194         My  Lady  Beautiful 

side  of  the  head,  move  the  scalp  with  a 
sort  of  rotary  motion;  then  catch  the  hair 
in  front,  on  the  sides  and  at  the  back,  in 
turn,  and  pull  it  firmly  and  steadily;  also 
massage  every  part  of  the  head  with  the 
tips  of  the  fingers. 

Should  the  hair  be  turning  gray  this  treat- 
ment should  not  be  neglected  as  it  restores 
the  circulation  to  the  scalp  and  gives  to  the 
follicles  the  much-needed  nourishment  to 
restore  it  to  its  original  condition. 

Have  a  care  how  you  use  restoratives  as 
many  of  them  contain  minerals  which  are 
very  harmful.  Also,  do  not  use  alcohol  on 
the  hair  as  it  causes  it  to  become  harsh  and 
dry  and  produces  grayness. 

Of  the  many  tonics  and  restoratives  I 
would  prefer  to  recommend  The  Elbion 
Hair  Naturalizer.  It  is  composed  entirely 
of  herbs,  makes  the  hair  soft  and  restores 
it  to  its  natural  color  where  it  has  not  been 
too  long  gray.  It  is  perfectly  harmless. 

In    dressing    the    hair,    you    should,    of 


My  Lady  Beautiful  195 

course,  adopt  the  style  becoming  to  yourself 
and  not  that  which  is  suitable  for  some 
other  and  entirely  different  looking  woman. 
Study  your  nose,  ears,  chin  and  the  general 
contour  of  your  face  and  head  and  then 
dress  the  hair  in  a  manner  that  will  tone 
down  any  defects  or  exaggerations  of  the 
features  and  bring  out  to  the  best  advantage 
your  good  points. 

Keep  the  head  uncovered  as  much  as  pos- 
sible  while  out  of  doors,  as  it  needs  the  air 
and  some  sunshine  just  as  the  body  does. 
Do  not  wear  a  "rat"  if  you  desire  to  avoid 
a  very  unsightly  and  unhealthy  article.  If 
you  wish  to  build  the  hair  up  in  front  (and 
this  style  is  becoming  to  the  majority  of 
women  when  not  carried  to  extremes)  part 
it  transversely  about  on  a  line  with  the  ears ; 
then,  holding  it  out  straight  to  the  front, 
comb  or  brush  back  on  top  until  sufficiently 
" fluffed"  to  form  a  pompadour. 

It  is  best  never  to  use  a  curling  iron  as 
this  destroys  the  oil  in  the  hair,  soon  render- 


196         My  Lady   Beautiful 

ing  it  lifeless.     Following  is  a  recipe  for  a 
good  fluid  for  keeping  the  hair  in  curl : 

To  one  pint  of  hot  water  add  one-half 
ounce  of  refined  borax  and  one  drachm  of 
gum  arabic.  When  the  ingredients  are  dis- 
solved add  two  tablespoonsfuls  of  spirits  of 
camphor.  Strain  through  fine  muslin  and 
bottle  for  use.  Moisten  the  hair  with  the 
fluid  and  roll  up  each  lock  on  kid  or  paper 
curlers  and  leave  until  perfectly  dry. 

THE  FACE. 

After  you  shall  have  learned  how  to  con- 
trol the  emotions  and  how  to  be  cheerful, 
you  really  need  not  give  yourself  much,  if 
any,  concern  about  the  face,  because,  when 
the  mental  attitude  is  what  it  should  be  and 
health  fully  restored,  the  face  will  become 
an  outward  expression  of  the  inner  calm  and 
will  gradually  take  upon  itself  a  sweet  youth- 
ful appearance.  But  suppose  you  are  al- 
ready by  reason  of  past  fretting,  uncon- 
trolled emotions,  and  irregular  habits,  wear- 


My  Lady  Beautiful          197 

ing  the  undesirable  telltale  lines,  which  are 
now  doubly  unwelcome;  if,  by  any  direct  or 
local  aids  they  may  be  banished  more  speed- 
ily, surely  you  need  not  hesitate  to  use 
them. 

I  have  already  told  you  how  to  overcome 
squinting  and  other  facial  contortions  by.  re- 
laxing the  muscles  of  the  face,  becoming 
calm  and  directing  the  thoughts  to  the  end 
desired,  all  of  which  are  of  the  greatest  im- 
portance in  the  accomplishment  of  the  best 
results.  But  this  does  not  mean  that  you 
should  be  careless  as  to  the  details  of  the 
facial  bath,  massage,  etc. 

Some  women  attack  the  face  as  if  it  were 
a  kitchen  floor,  soaping,  scrubbing  and  rub- 
bing until  the  tender  cuticle  is  broken  and 
roughened.  Some  skins  may  endure  this 
harsh  treatment,  but  the  majority  cannot. 

Use  only  the  best  vegetable  soaps,  contain- 
ing little  or  no  alkali.  I  cannot  recommend 
any  special  kind  unless  it  be  a  good  quality 
of  castile.  as  what  would  agree  with 


198          My  Lady  Beautiful 

one  woman's  skin  might  irritate  yours. 
Some  persons  use  only  Pear's  soap;  others, 
Woodbury's  and  still  others  Cuticura.  I 
have  tfied  all  and  found  them  excellent,  yet 
my  preference  is  Meloderma. 

Soap  should  not  be  used  on  the  face 
oftener  than  once  a  day,  and  many  ladies 
seem  to  get  along  very  nicely  without  it  for 
several  days  in  succession.  However,  if  you 
are  living  in  the  city  where  smoke  and  soot 
are  plentiful  I  would  advise  its.  application 
nightly  before  retiring,  using  slightly 
warmed  soft  water,  rinsing  and  drying 
thoroughly  thereafter.  Use  a  soft  cloth  for 
washing  and  a  fine  linen  towel  for  drying, 
rubbing  gently  over  the  face  upward  and 
outward. 

At  least  once  a  week  apply  pure  olive  oil 
as  a  cream  for  massaging,  performing  the 
operation  with  the  tips  of  the  fingers  or  a 
soft  rubber  ball  in  the  same  manner  as  here- 
tofore recommended.  If  the  fingers  vare 


My  Lady  Beautiful         199 

used,  catch  the  skin  very  lightly  between 
the  thumb  and  first  finger,  working  all  over 
the  face. 

To  wipe  out  lines,  press  gently  above  and 
below  in  turn  those  about  the  corners  of  the 
eyes  with  the  tips  of  the  fingers  of  one  hand 
while  smoothing  them  out  in  the  opposite 
direction  with  the  other.  Lines  from  the 
nose  to  the  corners  of  the  mouth  are  best 
manipulated  by  placing  the  thumb  just  in 
front  of  the  ear  and  with  the  tips  of  the 
fingers  gently  rubbing  backward.  For  the 
lines  between  the  eyes,  place  the  thumbs  on 
the  temples,  letting  the  fingers  meet  just  over 
the  nose  between  the  eyebrows,  and  with  a 
gentle,  stroking  motion,  manipulate  outward. 

A  good  cream  applied  twice  a  week  for 
the  massage,  in  addition  to  the  olive  oil 
(not  used  the  same  night),  will  be  found  to 
be  very  helpful.  Any  pure  creme  is 
most  excellent  for  this  purpose. 

After  the  massage,  wipe  the  face  gently 


2oo         My  Lady   Beautiful 

with  a  soft  cloth.  In  the  morning  bathe 
with  sweet,  hot  milk.  A  tablespoonful  is 
sufficient  for  the  purpose. 

Occasionally,  say  once  a  month,  a  tea- 
spoonful  of  milk  with  about  one-third  the 
quantity  of  salt  applied  to  the  face  just 
before  retiring  is  a  splendid  remedy  for 
rough  or  blotched  skin.  This  may  smart  a 
trifle  at  first,  but  the  face*will  have  a  delight- 
ful, velvety  feeling  in  the  morning. 

Should  the  oil  and  cold  creme  cause  en- 
largement of  the  pores,  bathe  the  face  now 
and  then  with  water  to  which  a  little  lemon 
juice  has  been  added. 

A  good  substitute  for  soap,  to  be  used 
occasionally,  is  the  best  quality  of  almond 
meal. 

You  should  be  your  own  judge  as  to  how 
long  you  should  continue  the  special  facial 
treatment  or  as  to  whether  you  need  it  at 
all.  You  certainly  may  dispense  with  it 
entirely  when  the  blood  is  in  good  condition 
and  your  health  fully  restored. 


My  Lady  Beautiful  201 


PRESCRIPTIONS     FROM     THE     SUNSHINE 
DISPENSARY. 

Before  concluding,  I  cannot  refrain  from 
giving  you  a  few  short  prescriptions.  Per- 
haps they  have  been  given  you  before  in 
different  words,  but  you  cannot  be  reminded 
too  often  of  that  which  will  lift  you  to  the 
plane  where  dwell  love,  peace,  hope,  and 
cheer. 

I  am  a  firm  believer  in  tonics.  You  can- 
not take  too  many  of  them — provided  they 
are  the  proper  kind — and  these  I  am  about 
to  prescribe  are  nature's  own  and  have  no 
superior. 

THE  ABSORPTION  LIGHT  CURE. 
It  has  been  conceded  by  the  leading  phy- 
sicians of  the  day  that  light  is  a  great  heal- 
ing agent.  Now,  however  limited  may  be 
your  means,  you  can  afford  to  take  the  Light 
Treatment.  Of  course,  the  physicians  do 
not  refer  so  much  to  sunshine  as  to  radium 


202         My  Lady   Beautiful 

and  X-Ray,  but  the  light  which  I  have 
in  mind  is  that  which  emanates  from  that 
great  golden  ball,  without  which  there  would 
be  no  plant  nor  animal  life,  and  whose 
mystic  glow  in  the  dawn  dispels  the  mists; 
whose  yellow  bars  pierce  nook  and  crevice, 
destroying  poisonous  growths  and  bringing 
into  life  plants,  trees  and  flowers  to  brighten 
your  pathway  and  mine.  It  is  this  light  of 
which  I  wish  you  to  partake;  this  blessed 
tonic  that  is  yours  without  the  asking. 

It  is  to  be  taken  by  absorption  through  the 
myriads  of  tiny  pores  of  your  body. 

If  your  sleeping  room  does  not  admit  this 
invigorator,  then,  instead  of  standing  in  its 
blaze  of  glory  before  your  open  window 
clothed  in  but  the  lightest  and  loosest  gar- 
ment, you  must  content  yourself  by  don- 
ning a  little  more  clothing  and  going 
into  some  other  room  or  out  of  doors.  In 
addition  to  this  morning  light  absorption, 
get  all  of  the  sunshine  you  can  during  the 
day,  except  in  extremely  warm  weather. 


My  Lady  Beautiful  203 

You  will  find  this  treatment  almost  a  cure- 
all  and  one  that  should  never  be  neglected. 
Suppose,  now  and  then,  a  cloud  obscures 
your  good  "physician"  with  his  far-reaching 
beneficial  rays.  Well,  do  the  next  best 
thing  by  using  the  creative  power,  about 
which  I  have  spoken,  and  compound  in  your 
own  little  laboratory  within,  with  the  ingred- 
ients of  love  and  cheer,  some  sunshine  for 
others,  and  you  will  be  delightfully  sur- 
prised at  the  benefit  you  derive  from  this 
procedure. 

THE  INTERNAL  TONIC. 

While  you  are  taking  the  Light  cure  do 
not  forget  that  all  the  air  passages  are  in 
constant  need  of  a  renewal  of  pure  air  for 
cleansing  and  invigorating  purposes.  As 
you  have  already  been  fully  instructed  as  to 
how  to  take  this  medicine,  further  detail  is 
unnecessary ;  but  I  would  have  you  remem- 
ber that  the  more  frequent  the  doses  the 
more  beneficial  the  results. 


204         My  Lady   Beautiful 


THE  MID-DAY  PRESCRIPTION. 
Rest — rest  for  at  least  a  half  hour — an 
hour,  if  possible,  after  eating.  No,  I  would 
not  sleep.  Should  you  desire  a  nap  during 
the  day  you  will  feel  more  greatly  refreshed 
if  it  is  taken  in  the  forenoon.  But  rest— 
rest  mind  and  body  and  you  will  take  up 
your  afternoon  duties  with  physical  energies 
renewed,  keener  mental  forces  and  a  zest 
that  will  make  the  ordinary  routine  a  pos- 
itive pleasure. 

THE  DEVELOPMENT  TONIC. 
After  retiring  at  night,  take  a  generous 
dose  of  calmness,  love  for  mankind  in  gen- 
eral and  for  those  with  whom  you  come  in 
daily  contact  in  particular,  mixed  with  pleas- 
ant thoughts  and  hope  for  the  morrow.  You 
will  find  this  to  be  a  most  wonderful  cure  for 
distracted  mind,  remarkably  soothing  to  the 
nerves  and  it  has  no  superior  as  a  sleep  pro- 


My  Lady   Beautiful          205 

ducer.  In  addition  to  this  it  will  get  in  some 
good  work  during  the  night  which  will 
count  with  you  for  much,  and  it  may  be 
necessary  to  have  an  introduction  to  your- 
self in  the  morning  so  great  will  be  the  gen- 
eral improvement. 

A  BEAUTIFUL  FACE  THE  EXPRESSION  OF 
NOBLE   THOUGHT. 

Now,  my  dear,  do  you  not  see  how  de- 
lightfully it  is  all  working  out? 

How  well  you  are  looking.  Filled  and 
thrilled  with  clean,  new  thoughts,  pure  as- 
pirations, clearly  defined  expectations,  prac- 
ticing the  thought,  the  aspiration,  the  ex- 
pectation, these  have  found  expression 
in  the  -smooth  brow,  the  sparkling  eye, 
the  upward  curve  of  the  lips,  the  satiny 
skin,  the  clear  complexion,  the  rounded, 
rosy  cheeks,  the  beautifully  firm  throat 
and  neck,  the  graceful  poise  of  the  head, 
the  rapidly  developing  form,  the  elastic 
step,  the  pleasure  of  participating  in  health- 


206         My  Lady  Beautiful 

ful  and  innocent  games  and  amusements,  the 
sympathy  that  produces  strength,  courage 
and  cheer,  the  utter  unselfishness  of  your 
dear  self,  the  exquisite  joy  of  living. 

Why,  I  could  go  on  and  on,  like  the  little 
brook  before  mentioned,  enumerating  what 
these  lessons  have  done,  are  doing  and  will 
do  for  you,  but  you  realize  this  quite  as  well 
as  I  do.  You  know  that  you  are  an  entirely 
new  woman,  that  you  feel  as  if  your  feet 
scarcely  touch  the  ground  while  walking, 
that  your  head  is  lifted  upward  where  the 
sunshine  may  always  be  seen  and  felt,  since 
you  have  been  living  the  new  life. 

To  obey  the  laws  of  love,  hygiene,  health, 
sympathy,  morality  and  spirituality  means 
the  highest  development  of  charm,  fascina- 
tion and  beauty,  which  produces  in  you,  my 
Lady  Beautiful,  the  perfection  of  woman- 
hood. 


RETURN  TO:      CIRCULATION  DEPARTMENT 
198  Main  Stacks 


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